Coventry University’s Assembly Gardens to become hotel and shopping complex in multi-million-pound transformation

The University of Coventry plans to transform the former site of Assembly Festival Gardens into a multi-million-pound complex featuring hotels, shops, and hundreds of new homes.

Assembly Festival Gardens, situated on Little Park Street in Coventry, near the city centre, was an outdoor space that served as a venue for live entertainment, food, and drinks.

After closing in September 2022, new plans are now underway to redevelop the gardens and the surrounding Civic Centre area into a complex of residential and commercial spaces, fully integrated into the broader Coventry area.

Its prime location in the heart of Coventry offers significant potential for benefiting both students and the public, with the development aiming to combine both community projects and public services.

This is a prime site in Coventry city centre and we want to see it used for something that will benefit the university and the city as a whole

Professor John Latham, Coventry University vice-chancellor

The vice-chancellor of Coventry University, Professor John Latham, said: “This is a prime site in Coventry city centre and we want to see it used for something that will benefit the university and the city as a whole.”

The University of Coventry has selected VINCI UK Developers and ION Developments as the preferred developers to carry out the project. They aspire to “revitalise and reimagine” the site to create “flexible and diverse spaces”.

This development emerges as Coventry University revealed plans for a new India campus despite facing growing financial pressures. The project has been subject to controversy, with critics arguing that investment should be focused on Coventry.

Professor Latham remarked: “While we are expanding our global footprint, we are committed to all our UK communities and working with partners who can help deliver better futures.”