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Archive for February, 2014

UCL moves forward with plans for Olympic Park site

By ucqbcme, on 28 February 2014

Following an announcement from Prof Steve Caddick, Vice President (Enterprise) at UCL (23rd January 2014  http://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/staff/staff-news/0114/23012014-viceprovost-view-olympic-park) the university is pushing ahead with plans to develop a new site within the Olympic Park perimeter. Construction could start as early as 2016, with initial phases scheduled to open from 2018 onwards.

The new proposals replace an older scheme for a £1bn development on the site of the Carpenters Road estate, which was shelved last year.

Under the new proposals UCL will take up residence alongside the V&A, in an area in the southern part of the site formerly allocated for housing, but now redefined as an ‘Olimpicopolis’ by the Mayor Boris Johnson – a 21st Century manifestation of the South Kensington ‘Albertopolis’ vision (the museum’s existing site named after Queen Victoria’s consort Prince Albert). The project is strongly supported by government and the Mayor of London, as an anchor for the Olympic legacy delivery.

A new Olympic Park Steering Committee has been established at UCL to formulate a clear academic vision for the components and functions of the new, smaller, development, with input from UCL’s academic community (http://www.ucl.ac.uk/olympic-park/your-ideas). As yet undefined, the uses on the 7-acre site will include staff and student housing and academic facilities. UCL’s Delivery Team is currently developing a Strategic Outline Case for presentation to Council for approval on March 25th. It is intended that a new masterplanning brief and invitation to tender will be in place by June, supported by  a commitment to a co-ordinated community engagement strategy, and the work already accomplished by UCL’s Public Engagement Unit, Urban Lab, and others in this field.

For further information and to take part in the debate:  Olympic Park Project website