Spellar Metcalfe has been appointed by the City of Wolverhampton Council as its preferred contractor to deliver major works on the city centre's Central Library and Adult Education Wolverhampton facilities as part of the £61 million Phase Two City Learning Quarter development.

The company has been awarded the pre-construction contract and will now develop the detailed designs and carry out some enabling works ahead of the main contract and full works starting in the autumn.

The Central Library plans include the restoration of the Grade II* listed building's façade on Snow Hill, a new roof, internal remodelling, new rear entrance lobby and landscaping.

Adult Education Wolverhampton's Alan Garner Centre on Old Hall Street will also undergo internal remodelling and the construction of a 2 storey glazed link building to connect it directly to Central Library's 1930s extension.

This will create a modernised, reconfigured and accessible, digitally enabled Central Library and an expanded centralised Adult Education provision that meets post-16 learner and employer demands.

The improved Central Library and Adult Education Wolverhampton facilities will sit alongside a new state of the art education facility for City of Wolverhampton College currently being constructed by McLaughlin & Harvey on the site of the college’s former Metro One campus and land on the corner of Garrick Street and Bilston Street, where the Faces nightclub building once stood.


Central Library and Adult Education Wolverhampton will continue to operate throughout the duration of the works, which are expected to be completed in autumn 2025.

Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs and Skills, Councillor Chris Burden, said: "The restoration and improvement works to our historic Central Library and Adult Education building are an important part of our City Learning Quarter vision to co-locate new state of the art facilities in the city centre and improve life chances for people of all ages.

"We want to deliver a vibrant education hub where we improve the city’s learning, apprenticeship and employment offers, and retain our best talent, rather than losing people to different parts of the region.

"The new facilities will also provide a vital facelift to our city centre and restore one of our much loved heritage buildings, as well as offer excellent connectivity to rail, bus, tram and cycle routes.

"We will be creating an inspirational environment where everyone can flourish - and it demonstrates the commitment this city has to investing in its citizens."

Speller Metcalfe is also working on Phase One of the City Learning Quarter masterplan - a new £8.1 million Advanced Technology and Automotive Centre at City of Wolverhampton College’s Wellington Road campus in Bilston - which is on track to be completed this summer and is being funded by West Midlands Combined Authority.

Matthew Bailey, Director at Speller Metcalfe, said: "We're delighted to be working with City of Wolverhampton Council on another phase of works for the City Learning Quarter. The Advance Technology and Automotive Centre project has been a success and we look forward to carrying this success through to the next project. Restoring heritage and listed buildings is the bread and butter of our team and we're pleased to have been appointed for this scheme."