McAlpine, Balfour and Miller make £40m student digs shortlist

Sir Robert McAlpine, Balfour Beatty and Miller Construction have been shortlisted to construct a £40m student hall of residence for Aberystwyth University.

Kier Northern, City Heart and Evans Management were all dropped from the running.

The news came as consultant Pick Everard revealed it has been appointed as a technical adviser on the procurement of the project.

Building work on the 100-bed block is planned to begin in late 2012, with the first students expected to move in in September 2014.

McAlpine, Balfour and Miller are all at the competitive dialogue stage.

Rebecca Davies, pro vice-chancellor at Aberystwyth University, said: “Aberystwyth offers one of the best student experiences in the UK.

“This project represents the biggest single element of the university’s strategic plan and underlines its commitment to improving the quality of the accommodation it has to offer to students with an emphasis on self-catering and en-suite facilities.”