Contractors have been appointed to start work transforming Leicester Castle into one of the country’s leading business schools.
De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) has agreed a 125-year lease with Leicester City Council to carry out a £4.2 million refurbishment of the historic building, bringing it back into life as the Leicester Castle Business School; a new kind of institution which will train a new generation of industry leaders.
Work is now expected to start on the building in early June, carried out by Robert Woodhead Ltd, an award-winning, family-owned construction company with more than 40 years’ experience.
The firm have recently carried out the restoration of Oakham Castle, in Rutland, and will bring a wealth of expertise to transforming the Grade I-listed Great Hall at Leicester Castle, bringing this hidden historic gem back into prominent use as the new business school.
Throughout history, Leicester Castle has played a pivotal role in local and national events, with its courts in regular operation until the building’s closure in 1992.
When the new school opens, high-calibre students from around the world will learn from leading academics in the same place that Richard III rested on his journey from London to York and Peter Pan author JM Barrie reported on court cases for the Nottingham Journal.
The Leicester Castle Business School will offer new postgraduate and undergraduate business courses, designed for students who want to stand out in the international employment market.
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The world got its first look at the new school when it was shown in a 30-second pitchside advertisement at the King Power Stadium, during Leicester City’s triumphant final home game of the season, where they lifted the Premier League trophy, having been crowned winners only days before.
Professor Dana Brown, Principal of Leicester Castle Business School – who was formerly Director of the MBA at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School – said she was excited for work to begin.
She said: “We have a chance to restore an historic building to tell the public and future business leaders a little more about the history and to create an environment for learning that is truly unique.
“The school will take the enduring spirit of this special building and take it into the 21st century, making it once again a vital part of the present – and future.”
Posted on Thursday 26 May 2016