Morgan Sindall Construction selected as preferred bidder for transformational St Albans regeneration

Morgan Sindall Construction has been selected as preferred bidder for a comprehensive mixed-use development, which will transform St Albans city centre, under a pre-construction services agreement.

The major project for St Albans and District City Council will form part of the Civic Centre Opportunities Site (CCOS) redevelopment. It lies at the heart of St Albans city centre, largely on the site of the former St Albans Police Station, and is bordered by Victoria Street, Bricket Road and Civic Close.

Morgan Sindall Construction was appointed to the project via the Pagabo National Framework for Major Construction Works: a user-friendly, flexible mechanism focused on delivering a best-in-class user experience by offering a wide range of procurement routes and contracts across sectors, enabling efficient process and early commencement on site.

As part of the plans, the five-storey police station, as well as a former NHS clinic, will be demolished to make way for a new residential and commercial development. The scheme is also expected to include flexible space.

Morgan Sindall Construction has been provisionally selected to deliver a mixed-use development across two six storey buildings. The project consists of a new residential scheme which will house circa 100 mixed tenure apartments, alongside commercial and retail facilities which will be located on the ground and first floors. The project also comprises the construction of a new basement car park containing more than 100 car parking spaces and all associated substructure works.

Of the new homes created, around half will be one-bedroom units, 40 per cent will be two-bedroom, and the balance will be three-bedroom. The scheme aims for approximately 40 per cent affordable housing units. The overall CCOS redevelopment area is divided into northern and southern sites, and lies at the heart of St Albans City centre.

As well as the aforementioned buildings, the southern portion comprises a former office block, Hertfordshire House, and St Albans Magistrates’ Court. The Ministry of Justice will retain its building for court purposes, while Hertfordshire House will be reused for a residential-led development.

David Rowsell, Morgan Sindall Construction’s area director, said: “We are delighted to have been selected as preferred bidder for this transformational scheme, which will create a distinctive and vibrant new quarter in the heart of the city.
“Morgan Sindall Construction has recently delivered an outstanding residential refurbishment for St Albans City and District Council at the former Museum of St Albans, and we look forward to building on this positive partnership and our knowledge of the community.
“Our team has extensive experience in successfully delivering complex urban regeneration developments and we are pleased and proud to have the opportunity to leverage that deep and varied knowledge to deliver an outstanding development for St Albans.”

Councillor Julian Daly, Portfolio Holder for Commercial and Development for St Albans City and District Council, said: “We are looking forward to working with Morgan Sindall Construction to deliver this project and fulfil our vision of transforming a rundown area of the city centre.
“This is one of the most ambitious developments that the Council has ever undertaken and it is very exciting that we are now moving on to the construction work.
“Throughout the project we have encouraged community groups and interested individuals to help shape the designs by participating in workshops and other events.
“I am confident that, together with Morgan Sindall Construction, we will now build a thriving new residential and commercial area to the benefit of the whole St Albans District.”

Other key multi-faceted urban developments Morgan Sindall Construction has recently delivered include a £70 million scheme to transform Lambeth Town Hall and its civic buildings. The multifaceted Your New Town Hall scheme was delivered for urban regeneration specialist and national developer, Muse Developments, and project partner Lambeth Council. The project involved the comprehensive refurbishment of the Grade II listed Brixton Town Hall and the construction of a new six-storey energy efficient civic building with a customer centre and council offices.

• For more information about this news release please contact Ruth Cobban at Influential on 0151 239 5000 or email [email protected]