£45million NRC campus investment out to tender

The tender for the construction of a new campus for Northern Regional College at its existing Farm Lodge site in Ballymena has now been released.
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The new build project will see the consolidation of the College’s current provision at Farm Lodge and Trostan Avenue sites in Ballymena into one, purpose-built campus at Farm Lodge.

Providing a significant boost to the local economy, the £45 million project forms part of a wider £85 million capital investment in the College estate.

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It is anticipated the successful contractor will be appointed in mid-2021, with new building construction works commencing on site in the spring of 2022.

The tender for the construction of a new campus for Northern Regional College at its existing Farm Lodge site in Ballymena has now been releasedThe tender for the construction of a new campus for Northern Regional College at its existing Farm Lodge site in Ballymena has now been released
The tender for the construction of a new campus for Northern Regional College at its existing Farm Lodge site in Ballymena has now been released

Economy Minister Diane Dodds said: “This project is excellent news for Northern Regional College and for the Ballymena area. Combined with the new campus project at Coleraine for which I recently announced the appointment of the main contractor, this investment will enable the college to deliver a modern, economically-focused curriculum in new, state-of-the-art facilities.

“The projects will provide a significant boost to the economy at a very challenging time, sustaining hundreds of construction related jobs and ultimately enabling the delivery of quality training and skills essential to economic recovery.”

Professor Terri Scott, Principal and Chief Executive of Northern Regional College, said: “Our new Ballymena campus will result in a world-class learning environment, enabling the delivery of training, skills and transformational education not only for our students, but for the wider local community.

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The development of the new Ballymena campus will create an estimated 150 new jobs and sustain approximately 300 jobs in the construction sector. In addition, the project will provide over 1,350 weeks of training for new apprentices across a range of engineering and construction related trades.

Throughout the construction of the new campus, the College will continue to work closely with Mid & East Antrim Council and other key stakeholders on the regeneration of the former St Patrick’s Barracks site.