The University’s new Mayflower Halls were declared open today at a plaque unveiling by Southampton MP John Denham.
The new student accommodation comprises three residential blocks of up to 16 floors and will house 1,100 students. Situated next door to the Mayflower Theatre, the build represents an £80m investment in the city and will include a shop and gym.
John Denham MP, a former student at the University, spoke at the opening which was attended by councillors, University staff and the site’s developers, Osborne Developments. He said:
“The University is really important to the City and these new halls of residence are a fantastic addition to Southampton’s landscape. Not only will the Mayflower Halls bring a lot of young people into the most exciting part of Southampton, they help to complete the City’s cultural quarter between the arts centre and the Mayflower Theatre, bringing in all of these students to share in the exciting events the City has to offer.”
The new halls will increase capacity for first year undergraduates, as well as accommodating some students in subsequent years of study and first year postgraduate students. It is also hoped that the new accommodation will help to ease pressure on Southampton’s private housing stock.
Vice-Chancellor, Professor Don Nutbeam, said:
“This impressive new building is the largest hall complex to be built in the city of Southampton in over a decade. The University started not far from here but has today grown to be a world leading centre for research and an institution of some 23,000 students.”
Mayflower Halls is a partnership project between Osborne, Legal and General, Terrace Hill and the University.