Tolent bags contract for Durham's first phase of Milburngate project

The Arlington Richardson Development Partnership has selected Tolent as its contractor for the construction of Phase One Milburngate in Durham City.

The national contractor will begin construction following the completion of the final site enabling works, which have been ongoing since January 2019.

The contract includes the construction of 70 per cent of the entire Milburngate development, which makes up Phase One of the project on the six-acre riverside site.

This announcement follows the project securing a £120m forward-funding commitment from LaSalle Investment Management, which is enabling the delivery of the first phase.

Ian Beaumont, project director for Milburngate, said: “Tolent shares our enthusiasm for Durham City and our commitment to delivering a regionally-significant development.

“We undertook a very detailed and comprehensive selection process to ensure we have a contractor that is able to transform this unique riverside location into the vision we have for Milburngate.

“We are very pleased to have chosen Tolent and look forward to working closely with them as they begin construction in the next few weeks.”

Within Phase One will be premises for a number of nationally-recognised leisure operators including boutique cinema company Everyman, restaurant brands Marston’s Pitcher & Piano, Bar + Block, Miller and Carter and a 92-bed flagship Premier Inn hotel.

Tolent will also build 5,000 sq m of speculative offices, creating capacity for more than 400 new jobs, as well as 153 built-to-rent apartments.

This major regeneration scheme in Durham City is the latest regionally-significant project Tolent has been involved with.

Andy McLeod, CEO for Tolent, concluded: “This project is one of the most significant wins in the history of our business, and is testament to the skills, expertise and growth of our team not only in the region, but across the UK.

“It’s always a privilege to be involved in such transformational projects, and the vision for Milburngate is one we’re committed to delivering for our client, and for the community within Durham City.”

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