Gregory Property Group has completed a purpose-built student accommodation scheme (PBSA) – The Refinery, a new £30m+ 407 bed student residential development on the edge of Leeds city centre. A ceremony took place in September to formally handover the scheme to Fresh Property Management which is operating the site on behalf of investor – Curlew Alternative Asset Management.
Despite challenges posed by the current Pandemic, Leeds established contractor – GMI Construction – managed to complete the works on time for the start of the Autumn term.
Cushman & Wakefield’s Manchester office and Michael Leonard of Carisbrooke Estates acted on behalf of Gregory Property Group in the acquisition of the site and forward funding. Montagu Evans represented Curlew.
“We are delighted to deliver this project on time for our forward funders, Curlew and to enable Fresh to prepare for the Autumn term intake. We are very grateful to the team at GMI in manging to complete the project under near impossible conditions through the Pandemic. The team’s dedication and determination to succeed was evident in abundance.
“Leeds is a top twenty university destination in England with a student population of around 60,000 students that continues to grow. We are pleased to contribute to the high-quality housing needs in the city.”
Barry Gregory, Chairman, Gregory Property Group
The Refinery is located on a prominent site in Bingley Street, close to Kirkstall Road – a gateway to Leeds city centre. For over three decades, the site was formerly occupied by Maxi’s restaurant as the first purpose built Chinese restaurant in the UK.
The nine, ten and 11-storey PBSA scheme – which has been designed by AHR Architects – includes studios and bedroom clusters with terrace and garden features. Amenities include shared social hubs, a cinema, gym, games room, concierge and state-of-the-art 24-hour security.
“We are very pleased to see The Refinery reach timely completion despite the unprecedented challenges faced over the last six months and credit must go to Gregory Property Group, GMI Construction and the rest of the delivery team. This development provides state of the art accommodation and is an excellent addition to our portfolio of student facilities across the United Kingdom.”
Nick Woolcott, Head of Project Management, Curlew
Feature image courtesy of Flickr, Creative Commons.
