Liverpool City Council has given the go-ahead to transform the former Royal Mail sorting office at Copperas Hill in Liverpool into a flagship building for John Moores University.

The University’s new £100 million flagship building will become the gateway to the city’s Knowledge Quarter and will bring together the University’s Mount Pleasant and Byrom Street campuses.

It will lead to the formation of a connected University campus village, with the new building becoming its central focal point and epicentre.

Sue Emms, lead architect for the development said: “Copperas Hill will be transformed into a friendly, student-centred hub providing a highly visible focus for the University.

“A walkway will encourage the public to walk through the building creating an attractive route from Lime Street to the Knowledge Quarter allowing the public to connect directly with the University.”

Building contractors, Lendlease are already on site undertaking enabling works and during May will remove the exterior of the former Royal Mail sorting office to expose the internal frame, which will then form the basis of the new structure.

Currently spread over five floors, the new building, accessible from both Copperas Hill and Brownlow Hill, will be expanded to include two mezzanine floors and use of the roof for sports and recreation. This will increase the floor area from the existing 280,000 sq.ft. to 355,000 sq.ft.

Other facilities and services will include a café and retail space, the University’s World of Work Careers Centre, Student Advice and Wellbeing, Student Administration, and LJMU’s Teaching and Learning Academy.

The development is expected to be open for use at the start of the academic year 2018.