Melburg Capital has submitted plans to convert the former South Plaza office block in Bristol city centre into a £100m 370-bed purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) scheme.
The development will include a state-of-the-art gym with changing facilities, full café and leisure facilities, a screening room, golf simulator and 370 secure bike storage spaces, as part of the proposed zero-student car strategy.
Melburg said repurposing the office block will save 4,215 tonnes of embodied CO2 compared with a demolition and rebuild. The building will also save an additional 3,000 tonnes of CO2 by hooking up to Bristol’s District Heat Network. A ground-floor front extension will feature a green roof and result in a biodiversity net gain of 2,000%.
Jack Burgess, chief executive of Melburg Capital, said: “This ambitious, highly sustainable proposal seeks to provide Bristol with much needed purpose built student accommodation, and in so doing alleviate pressure on the chronically constrained housing market.
“We will be exploring operational optionality through our advisors Savills, are considering acquiring existing platforms and intend on growing our student housing exposure extensively as part of our wider investment into the living space”.
Subject to approval, Melburg hopes the accommodation will be open by September 2025. Melburg was advised by Savills and Burgess Okoh Saunders LLP.
