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Student Accommodation Starts on Site
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The regeneration of Newport’s city centre takes another step forward this week as work starts on site for a £17m development of student accommodation.
This week Opal Property Group begins construction of the 441 bedroom building located on Usk Way at Old Town Dock.
Opal has been working closely with the University of Wales, Newport, and the new accommodation will be located adjacent to the new £40m city centre campus, due to start on site in 2008.
John Burrows, chief executive of Newport Unlimited, said, ''Following the opening of Newport City Footbridge last year, development along the banks of the River Usk is really progressing.
The start of work for the Opal scheme marks an important step towards the creation of a lively cultural district along the riverfront, home to education and the arts. With the new University campus starting on site this year, a large student population is set to bring a host of benefits to the city, providing a real buzz along the River Usk, as well as a vital boost to the local economy.''
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Opal’s development is a seven story building, split into cluster flats of five bedrooms. Each bedroom will be installed with Broadband and each flat will have its own living room with open plan kitchen. The scheme will also house 24–hour security, a common room and a launderette.
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The £40m city centre campus will house the Newport School of Art, Media and Design, and Newport Business School. Newport City Council gave the development the green light on 21 February and the halls of residence will be ready to move into by September 2008
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Opal is one of the largest student accommodation providers in the country and it designs, builds and operates developments nationwide. The development at Old Town Dock is Opal’s first scheme in south Wales.
Lisa Timberlake, area development manager at Opal, said, “Bringing students to live and study in the City centre will boost the economic regeneration of Newport. With the help of Newport Unlimited we have been able to achieve starting the build on time to ensure students can occupy high quality accommodation in September 2008.”
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