What is the Wolverhampton Interchange Project?
The Wolverhampton Interchange project is a £180million transformation of the City Centre which will see new bus and train stations, a new café quarter around the Broad Street Canal Basin, new shops, restaurants, a casino and four-star hotel.
The developer Neptune Developments Ltd also plan to demolish the existing station car park and replace it with 1,200 car parking spaces on top of the new train station. There will also be 200,000 sq ft of new, high quality public space opened up, connecting Queen Street and the wider city centre.
New opportunities for City Centre living are provided with 75 new apartments. Homes are planned near to the magnificent Chubb Building.
Where is the area?
This exciting new development takes place at the eastern gateway of the city of Wolverhampton and it envelopes the current and historic transport links of the railway station and canal.
The Interchange Project flanks both sides of the City Centre Ring Road St Davids and the Main Line Birmingham Canal providing both a visually attractive welcome to 21st century city and the opening up of the historic links between the Queens Building and the train station.
What is the content of the Wolverhampton Interchange Project?
The Interchange Project will connect the City Centre with the new rail and bus facilities and open up the potential for further development and economic growth. It will make Wolverhampton an accessible city in the heart of England with much improved access to the city’s vital transport hubs.
The new Wolverhampton City Centre is designed to blend perfectly with the old, creating a modern twist on an established favourite. The Banana Yard will feature a new family-friendly café quarter, close to the safe and bright parking available at the new train station.
What are the direct economic and regeneration benefits of the Wolverhampton Interchange Project?
The creation of nearly 2,100 new jobs, 1,100 of them office-based
Nearly 250,000 sq ft of new commercial office space
85,500 sq ft of new leisure space
84,500 sq ft of new retail space
200,000 sq ft of high quality public squares and spaces
Who are the partners in the Project?
The main partners, Wolverhampton City Council and Neptune Developments, are working closely with stakeholders Network Rail, Virgin Trains, British Waterways and Centro.
Neptune Developments are Liverpool-based urban design specialists whose successful Queens Square development played a key role in kick-starting the renaissance of Liverpool City Centre. Neptune are currently involved in the delivery of a number of innovate mixed-use developments across the region.
What are the key milestones for the delivery of the Wolverhampton Interchange Project?
- Planning application – Spring 2008
- Planning permission – Autumn 2008
- The first phase of work will feature the new railway station with a 1,200 space car park on the top of the building. A start on site is planned for spring 2009 with completion scheduled for summer 2010.
- Work on the new bus station will then begin, with a target completion date of 2011
- The overall project completion is scheduled for the end of 2013.
