University of Reading Halls and Catering Project Starts on Site
Working under its framework agreement with the University of Reading, Heery is managing the £105m Halls and Catering Project. Works on site started today, with clearance of the first site well underway. The old Whiteknights Hall is being demolished by main contractor Morgan Ashurst. A formal start of demolition ceremony was held today, when University Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Tony Downes posed for the cameras in the cab of one of the excavators. Before the Ceremony, Collin Robbins, the Unversity's Director of Estates and Facilities Management, was very complimentary about the work done by Heery and the team to engage sensitively with the University's team but still be sufficiently firm to bring the project to this stage.
During phase 1 of the project due for occupation in September 2010 - work will be carried out on three separate sites:
- a replacement Hall of Residence, to be known as Mackinder Hall, will be constructed on the site of Whiteknights Hall
- a new Hall, to be known as Stenton Hall, will be constructed south of Childs Hall
and new catering, social and admin buildings will be built adjacent to Windsor Hall, the ground floor of which will be extensively remodelled.