Robertson Lands £15m Gamble Building Restoration in St Helens

Robertson Construction North West has won a £15m contract to restore and extend the Grade II-listed Gamble Building in St Helens town centre.

The contractor will convert the Victoria Square landmark into a creative and learning hub, returning St Helens Central Library to the building alongside an archive, youth hub, offices, café and communal space. The job will be delivered under a two-stage design and build deal.

Robertson will now review the proposals with St Helens Borough Council and the project team to test buildability and value.

The scheme includes a contemporary rear extension that creates a new entrance facing Gamble Plaza and the soon-to-be-completed St Helens Transport Interchange.

Main construction is scheduled to start in December and run until May 2028.

The Gamble Building dates from 1896 and closed to the public in 2017 because of structural problems.

The project forms part of the wider £90m first phase overhaul of St Helens town centre, which Vinci Building is leading.

Robertson Construction North West regional managing director Paul Coyle said: "As a regional contractor, we will also work with our local supply chain and the local community to deliver real social and economic benefits that will be felt both during and long after construction."

If the buildability and value review stays on track, the December start would put the restored Gamble Building back in public use for the first time in more than a decade.