Construction of the new Broadmarsh Library, Car Park and Bus Station will reach a significant milestone this week, as installation of building foundations begins.

As demolition and site preparation is now fully complete, Galliford Try, the contractor, will begin the process of piling, which inserts concrete columns into the ground to support the steel frame of the new building.

On the site on Monday 22 July, Councillor David Mellen, Leader of Nottingham City Council, Steve Merrin, Operations Director of Galliford Try and David Williams, Deputy Chair of the Local Enterprise Partnership D2N2, met to view progress to date and view the site and the work to come.

The new Broadmarsh Library, Car Park and Bus Station will be an impressive addition to the city’s landscape and a marked improvement on the previous building, with secure cycle parking, three digital screens on key entrances to the building and solar panels to help power the new facilities.

The Car Park will include 1,226 spaces with dedicated accessible spaces, parent and child spaces, electric car charging spaces and a taxi drop-off zone. Underneath it, a modern bus station will deliver a redesigned and improved passenger experience, better connecting to the transport hub at Nottingham train station.

A new Central Library befitting of Nottingham’s status as a UNESCO City of Literature will become an exciting new destination in the revitalised Broadmarsh area, alongside retail units on Carrington Street, Collin Street and along the concourse area fronting onto the bus station. It will be key in improving literacy in children and young people, benefitting from a dedicated section for children, modern facilities for a 21st century library and a bespoke layout to best serve the people of Nottingham.

The redevelopment on the Broadmarsh Library, Car Park and Bus Station site is part of a broader plan to transform the Southside area of the city centre, with £2 billion of development opportunities either proposed or underway in half a square mile. These redevelopments will provide improved transport links, Grade A office provision, new homes and retail and leisure opportunities which will bring jobs, economic growth and more visitors to Nottingham.

Councillor David Mellen, Leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “The redevelopment of the Broadmarsh area has felt like a long time coming, but now it’s happening and the work being done now will see things quickly progress. While work has been underway for some time, for many the laying of foundations will mark the real start of works on the site.

“Now construction work is visibly underway both here and at intu Broadmarsh, Nottingham’s citizens will benefit from the new construction jobs and training in the city, and subsequently when the developments are complete. We can look forward to a fantastic new area, bringing a variety of new jobs, the best children’s library in the country and a welcoming Broadmarsh area Nottingham can be proud of.

“The development of Nottingham’s Southside area is ambitious, providing new spaces for people to work, live, play and learn with new Grade A office space, housing, retail and leisure opportunities and the new Nottingham College City Hub. It’s an exciting time for Nottingham as these unprecedented developments get underway. This does mean there will be some disruption, but we intend to keep this to an absolute minimum while we transform the Southside area of the city.”

Jon Marston, Managing Director of Galliford Try East Midlands, commented: “The Broadmarsh redevelopment is an important step in our work in the East Midlands region, placing us at the centre of one of the most exciting urban regeneration projects in the area.

“Our team are now well established on site and enjoying an excellent collaborative relationship with Nottingham City Council and the other stakeholders that will ensure we create a lasting legacy for people from the city and surrounding areas to benefit from.”

Sajeeda Rose, Chair of the D2N2 LEP, said: “We are pleased to see the Southside project reach this significant milestone. Good transport links, including parking facilities, will be essential in attracting visitors and businesses to the new look Broadmarsh area, which is why the D2N2 LEP has invested significantly in the transport infrastructure of this major redevelopment scheme.”