Leeds Arena contractor named
CONSTRUCTION company BAM Construction, which is building a number of stadia for this year’s football World Cup, has been selected as the preferred contractor to build Leeds Arena.
Leeds City Council said the announcement was a major step forward in the delivery of the 13,500 capacity arena and would boost the regional construction economy.
According to economic estimates, the £55m construction project is expected to add around £25.5m per year to the city’s economy and protect around 100 construction jobs.
It is also set to create an additional 100 jobs for people living in the region, with potentially 90 apprenticeships.
The new arena will feature a ‘super theatre’ design, which guarantees every seat in the house enjoys perfect sightlines.
BAM Construction has built a number of local, national and international stadia including the new pavilion for Yorkshire Cricket Ground at Headingley Stadium, the Berlin 02 Arena and is working on a £9.2m refurbishment of the Leeds City Varieties Theatre.
It has also constructed the Rose Bowl at Leeds Metropolitan University.
Bovis Lend Lease has been selected as the reserved contractor for the arena scheme.
Outline planning permission was recently given for the arena building and Leeds City Council said the project remained on track for the construction contractor to take control of the site this year, with completion fully on course for 2012.
Construction work is currently scheduled to start late in 2010.
Leeds Arena’s operator, SMG Europe, is also set to enter into a naming rights agreement with an organisation to sponsor the venue.
Councillor Andrew Carter, leader of Leeds City Council, said: “I am delighted to announce BAM as the preferred construction contractor to build the Leeds Arena.
“We received huge amounts of interest from contractors and the standards of submissions were extremely high. This shows the prestigious nature of this development and it is fantastic that we now have one of the very best contractors working on it.
“BAM has significant experience in building world leading stadiums and throughout the tender process they have demonstrated huge commitment and enthusiasm for the project. Leeds City Council looks forward to working with BAM and their design team.”
James Wimpenny, director of BAM in the North East, said: “This is a fabulous project for BAM to be building. We’ll be bringing the skills and expertise that has gone into building the stadium to host this year’s World Cup Final to the arena, together with our local knowledge and track record in Leeds.
“We look forward to working with Leeds City Council, as we are on the prestigious and much-loved City Varieties, to make Leeds proud of this new signature building.”
Future development opportunities on the site will be brought to the market at a future date with two potential plots of 1,010 sq m (0.25 acres) and a plot of 790 sq m (0.195 acres).
