Wates is to deliver a major regeneration project in the North East after triumphing in a contest involving a number of big names.
The Surrey-based contractor was appointed by developer Impec to the Gresham development in Middlesbrough.
Wates will build 230 homes for rent and provide residences for more than 450 students in the first phase of the brownfield scheme.
The job is valued by data specialist Glenigan at £100m.
The broader project, which could involve a 200-bedroom hotel, is designed to attract and retain talent in the town, kickstart regeneration and support the growth of Teesside University.
The Gresham scheme is being led by the Middlesbrough Development Corporation (MDC) in partnership with developers Impec and Buccleuch Property.
Subject to planning permission and MDC board approval, building work could start next summer.
David Wingfield, managing director for Construction East at Wates, said: “We’ve been working in the centre of Middlesbrough for nearly a decade, helping cement the town as a key growth region in the North East through our builds.
“The Gresham regeneration will help accelerate this potential even further, bringing a disused area back to life through the creation of community, and we’re incredibly proud to be appointed to deliver it.
“We firmly believe that large-scale regeneration projects should go beyond the lifecycle of a building, providing opportunities that can support communities for generations. We plan to deliver more than £50m in social value to Middlesbrough through this scheme.”
Impec director Leigh Cresswell hailed Wates’ appointment as “a key milestone”.
He added: “This development can be the catalyst to wide-scale public and private investment that will transform the centre of Middlesbrough.
“It will help the town’s digital community – the UK’s fastest-growing tech hub – as well as the thriving advanced manufacturing and professional services sectors to attract and retain talent.
“Following a formal tender process that attracted most of the UK’s major contractors, we are delighted to welcome Wates as a key part of the established project team. While its appointment brings the vast experience and knowledge of a national business, Wates has a proven commitment to keeping its supply chain local wherever possible as well as working with the local community.”
Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen said “decades of failure” had “blighted Gresham”.
But he added: “We’re now putting that right. Having a renowned contractor in Wates leading our push in the heart of Middlesbrough is a big boost.
“We’ve set a marker down in priming a Marriott hotel for Middlesbrough’s skyline and I’m now looking forward to seeing spades in the ground to bring more developments, more quality accommodation and more jobs to the town as soon as we can.”
