Devington says delayed Oceanique building getting back on track

Developers behind a stalled 拢55m skyscraper in Plymouth have said they are hopeful of making a start on its construction next spring.

Work on the 32-storey, 500,000 ft2 Oceanique building had been expected to start in 2009 before being hit by delays.

But Devington Homes chairman Lawrence Butler has now said the firm expects to be on-site in the city鈥檚 Derrry鈥檚 Cross area 鈥渘ext spring鈥 and that three 鈥渕assive鈥 construction firms had been shortlisted for the job.

Butler said the firm was in 鈥渟erious talks鈥 with hotel chain Accor and had an agreement with Plymouth University to fill 253 student rooms.

The proposals for the tower, which will have a boulevard running through it, also include some 109 apartments and 16,000 ft2 of retail space.

Butler told the that the residential units were proving 鈥渄ifficult to fund鈥 but said he expected the hotel and student accommodation aspects of the development to support them.

鈥淚f we can fund the other items and have them signed off residential becomes relatively easier to secure,鈥 he said.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 why I鈥檓 saying next spring, anywhere between March and June.鈥

In 2007, 好色先生TV reported that Davis Langdon had won the contract to provide project management and QS services for Oceanique.