As students across the region prepare to receive their degree results, today marks the start of graduation season! Builders in charge of Northumbria University's new £70 million City Campus East development will become the first to graduate from the iconic new buildings as they commence handover to its new inhabitants.
Over 1,600 builders are estimated to have worked on the Northumbria University project since work commenced on site almost 18 months ago and are today represented by leading personnel who will sportingly don their graduation robes to celebrate the latest striking addition to Newcastle's renowned skyline.
Situated on the site of the old Manors cinema, City Campus East will be home to three of Northumbria University's internationally successful schools; Newcastle Business School, The School of Law and The School of Design and will be home to around 9,000 staff and students in September.
Sir Robert McAlpine's Project Manager Mike Morley will today be joined by his management team; Aidan Harrison (Construction Manager), Jimmy Walker (Works Manager), Gary Neal (Financial Manager) and Mike Hodgson (Services Manager), to be presented with their official graduation certificates by Deputy Vice-Chancellor David Chesser. All five graduates have worked on the City Campus East project since day one in October 2005.
Cause for celebration, Sir Robert McAlpines team of builders graduating with honours
Trevor Thurlow, Director of Estates for Northumbria University has overseen the entire development. He commented:
" Today celebrates the hard work of all those that have been involved in building City Campus East. The team on site have done a truly remarkable job in delivering the project on time and within budget and it's great to see one of the first floors already fully finished and ready for teaching.
Over the coming weeks we'll be busy putting the finishing touches to the interior but we felt now was a fitting time to congratulate the builders as the major construction works are now complete."
City Campus East has generated almost £50 million investment in the region's economy in the past 18 months and has been built with the environment firmly in mind.
Trevor added:
"The environmental credentials of City Campus East are particularly impressive and we were very keen embrace green technologies to provide state of the art facilities that care for the environment."
The relocation of Newcastle Business School, The School of Law and The School of Design to City Campus East, forms an integral part of the ongoing re-development of Northumbria University's city centre campus in Newcastle.
City Campus East will be the base for students and corporate clients from across the globe, firmly cementing Newcastle Business Schools position as a world class business school with world class faciltilities.
Date posted: 06.07.2007