Bids open for £20.7m BMX track

MANCHESTER City Council is pushing ahead with plans to build a £20.7m indoor BMX track at Sportcity.

Construction businesses have been invited to bid for the design and build work for the proposed site adjacent to the velodrome in East Manchester.

Following the loss of East Manchester’s proposed super casino, the council is keen to turn the area – home to Manchester City FC – into a centre for leisure activities.

Manchester Leisure and the regeneration quango New East Manchester have been working up the BMX track proposals in recent months.

Now a tender document has been published inviting companies to bid for the work which has a total value of £20.75m.

The document states five or six companies, each with a minimum annual turnover of £50m, will be contracted to handle the 14-month job.

According to the plans the site, to be built on one of the velodrome’s car parks, will seat 4,500 for national and international competitions.

It will be linked to the velodrome and feature a large timber-framed dome roof as well as four sports halls for community use.

BMX racing is considered to be a growing sport after making its debut at the Beijing Olympics. Crewe-based Shanaze Reade crashed out of the Olympics but is a favourite to take gold at the 2012 games in London.

The deadline for expressions of interest is March 16.