Contractors have moved in to commence three weeks of tree felling, surgery and conservation work around the edge of Southwater Lake and outside Meeting Point House.
They will clear the site prior to the start of earthworks which will prepare the area for building.
Following consultation with ecological experts, tree works are taking place as soon as possible after the bird nesting season but before the bat roosting season to minimise impact.
The Southwater project is a partnership between Telford and Wrekin Council, International Centre owners the Southwater Event Group and the Homes and Communities Agency which has pledged £9.5m to the scheme.
The council says it has undertaken a number of measures to reduce the environmental impact of this new work including the installation of bat and bird boxes in the town park and a commitment to planting additional specimen tree species.
Telford and Wrekin Council leader Cllr Andrew Eade said: “The work starting this week is a statement: Southwater is starting just like we promised it would.
“It is a massive scheme for the centre of Telford and will provide the town with a vibrant, beating heart and something that everyone can be very proud of.
“We are taking advice from ecologists at every stage to ensure the impact on the environment is minimal and there will be extensive landscaping and new trees and shrubs planted around the new buildings once they are completed.”
In June, the council announced it was looking for a new leaseholder to take over Telford Ice Rink and give it a multi-million pound revamp as part of the Southwater project. A spokesperson for the authority said it was now going through all the received tendors with recommendations due to go before its cabinet in January.
