The iconic Debenhams building will become a new city centre campus for teaching, learning and community partnerships, having been purchased this year by the University of Gloucestershire. The University intends to fully refurbish the 1930s Art Deco building, offering 20,000sqm of space on five floors. This will create attractive, modern spaces for teaching and learning for students and staff, accommodating the University’s ambitious plans to expand the scale and range of its higher education programmes. The first students to move in will be those on nursing and allied health courses in September 2023.

The University will also explore allocating part of the ground floor space for dual-use facilities for the community and the University, including learning, wellbeing, enterprise and culture.

For more information take a look at:
Purchase of Debenhams building puts University of Gloucestershire growth plans at heart of city regeneration - University of Gloucestershire (glos.ac.uk)

August update - In March 2021, University of Gloucestershire announced it had bought Gloucester’s Debenhams building. The aim: to enable its ambitious plans for growth and to work with partners to create a new future for Gloucester city centre.

With planning permission granted, construction work has started on site. The first staff and students to enjoy the facilities at City Campus will be mainly from the School of Health and Social Care, with phased opening of the campus anticipated to begin in Autumn 2023.

Beneath the site of University of Gloucestershire's new City Campus archaeologists have discovered a Roman road and wall, an 18^th Century crypt and even a possible long buried Medieval church.

https://www.glos.ac.uk/city-campus/