Resort’s new £65m Multiversity starts to rise from the ground

Friday, 10 July 2026 11:05

By Richard Hunt

It seems to have been a long time coming, but the first sign of construction of Blackpool’s £65m Multiversity campus has finally appeared.

The very first part of the huge Blackpool and the Fylde College building has gone up this week, as if shooting directly out from the ground.

It is almost a year since the massive demolition programme got underway, with houses on parts of Cookson Street, Milbourne Street, George Street, Grosvenor Street and Charles Street being bulldozed to make way for the giant complex.

This was followed by a long period of site preparation on the campus”footprint” itself, before the main construction officially began in May.

But it is only now that residents can see the first part of the building actually beginning to take shape.

The Multiversity will bring 3,000 students, apprentices and staff into the heart of Blackpool when it opens its doors in September 2028.

The 115,000sqft educational space will create a modern, inspiring and aspirational new learning environment in the town centre, helping position Blackpool as a centre for education, skills and opportunity.

As part of the development, George Street has now closed to traffic ready to be transformed into a public realm space once construction is complete, supporting our wider commitment to regenerate the Talbot Gateway area and creating a more attractive, accessible town centre.

Cllr Lynn Williams, Leader of Blackpool Council, said: “It’s incredibly exciting to see construction begin on the new Multiversity campus.

“This marks another major milestone for the town, with the Multiversity playing a central role in our plans to make Blackpool an even better place to live, work and learn.

“Creating a new college campus in the heart of the town centre will provide real opportunities for local people to develop new skills, improve their employment prospects and raise aspirations.”