Vermont completes £100m Liverpool tower
Formerly known as Aura, the True Student building boasts 999 flats across 15-storeys in the midst of the city’s Knowledge Quarter.
True Student was designed by Falconer Chester Hall and includes a variety of amenities, including a gym, sky lounge, cinema room and café. The student accommodation hall was completed in phase, with the first 563 flats completing in September last year. Work on the remaining 436 apartments finished this month.
Inside one of the True Student flats. Credit: Gareth Jones
The building has had a troubled past, with construction stopping in 2020 after original developer Elliot Group went into administration. When that happened, 450 of the project’s investors joined forces to take over the scheme.
Known as Aura Investors, the group bought the site from administrator David Rubin & Partners in October 2020. The investors then recruited the professional team of Blacklight Capital to secure the funding for the development and arrange for main contractor Vermont to finish the build.
Work on True Student finished in July. Credit: Gareth Jones
“Despite the obvious challenges, Vermont committed to finishing the project with the investors,” said Mark Connor, the construction firm’s chief executive.
“It is a testament to the determination and pragmatism of all of the various stakeholders that we have been able to ensure the scheme could be completed as originally envisaged,” he continued.
“This is, without doubt, the biggest challenge we’ve faced since we established Vermont back in 2004, both in terms of the project’s scale and complexity. This, combined with a complete redesign of the ground floor following recommencement, was always going to be a massive test for the team, but one we were confident we could deliver – and we did.”
Connor added that True Student was “a fantastic advert for what our team at Vermont can deliver”.
Need more of this scale of building activity in Liverpool, if developers want some quick-wins then there are a number of stalled sites they could take on, or sites that have planning permission but are up for sale, one notable one for sale is the Norton site in the Baltic which has permission for a number of towers, also the Chinatown scheme needs a good developer and I am sure it would be popular for buyers, lets get some more cranes on the skyline.
By Anonymous
The Knowledge quarter has become the upper filling of the Liverpool layer cake. Paddington village is the cherry. Littlewoods studios will add another layer. The sky is the limit.
By Liverpool Romance
More skyscrapers on the waterfront please
By Anonymous
Let’s get more skyscrapers on the waterfront please
By David
A skyscraper? This would have to be 3 times the height to qualify for that. One would be nice though, it might show Liverpool can bounce back too .
By Wirralwanderer
Well done Vermont. Any chance that you could take on Infinity in partnership with the investors?
By Bradman
Skyscrapers most definitely not for the waterfront thankfully. This is Liverpool not Shanghai .
By Realist
Let’s be honest, this is a 15 storey student block and 15 storeys is a tiddler, not a skyscraper by any standards.
By Aigburther
Skyscrapers yes ,change yes , jobs yes and to a great future in Liverpool yes.
By Anonymous
Liverpool waterfront is the 3 graces without them it would look like the Birkenhead side.
By Dino Carlucci
Hey everyone. A reminder to stay on topic, which, in the case of this story, means discussing this student living accommodation building – not whether or not Liverpool needs skyscrapers. If you’d like to discuss skyscrapers, you may find this story more relevant: https://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/liverpool-sets-out-stall-on-tall-buildings/ Thanks – Julia
By Julia Hatmaker
Hi Julia
I see you blocked me for telling home truths
By Ted
Hi Ted – you have not been blocked. If you’d like to discuss why a comment was not published you can reach me at julia@placenorthwest.co.uk. Best – Julia
By Julia Hatmaker