GSW Arena LLC announced this week that Gensler – a global architecture firm founded and based in the Bay Area – has been hired to design the interior architecture of Chase Center, the new state-of-the-art sports and entertainment arena to be built in San Francisco’s Mission Bay.
The Wisconsin Center District (WCD) and the Milwaukee Bucks signed a lease agreement today for a new arena that will keep the team in Wisconsin for the next 30 years. The arena will serve as the centrepiece of a US$1bn dollar development plan to transform an underused portion of the city into a vibrant, urban community that will be a catalyst for economic growth throughout the region. Read more
The brand new Leicester Community Sports Arena is set to open its doors for the first time on January 30.
Whilst the new GBP£4.5m state-of-the-art arena will be the new home of the Leicester Riders basketball club, anchor tenants for the arena, and used by the Leicester Cobras wheelchair basketball team, it will also be open to the general public and Leicester College as a multi-use facility. All providing funding, along with Sport England and the Leicester & Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP).
On completion, in just over a week’s time, the Arena will become the new home to the Leicester Riders and Leicester Cobras Wheelchair Basketball Teams. In addition, the facility will be recognised as a regional basketball centre of excellence and serve as a large multiuse sports venue for the College and the local community.
Charter Street is formerly part of a gas works, as well as having a variety of industrial uses during it’s nearly 200 years of industrial heritage, and as a result the ground was contaminated. Therefore, before the Arena construction commenced, a remediation strategy was agreed with the Environment Agency and the City Council, and decontamination works then completed in January 2015.
Arena construction began in earnest then in April 2015, once the contractor – B&E Boys of Rossendale, Lancashire – had been chosen following a competitive tendering process.
Kevin Routledge, a Director of Leicester Community Sports Arena Limited, said:
We are delighted with the progress of the project, which is a testament to many contributors and contractors. Working on brown field sites poses unique challenges but we have managed to work through the remediation, and the construction has gone very smoothly.
I am delighted with the support we received on the legal side from EHL, who worked extremely well with the legal team in the Council and Sport England. The site has a complex ownership history and the EHL team support was critical to addressing these points to the satisfaction of everyone.
The Arena project has three partners, Leicester Riders, Leicester College, and Leicester City Council (LCC). All are providing funding, along with Sport England and the Leicester & Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership (LLEP).
LCC owns the site at Charter Street and will provide a long term lease of the site (125 years) to a new company, Leicester Community Sports Arena Limited (LCSAL), owned by the Rider’s charity (Leicester Riders Foundation), with the company paying a commercial rent for the site. The Arena project is being designed to allow the potential for the development of future additional facilities on site.
The Charter Street site was selected by the City Council following a detailed site selection process, which involved 10 possible locations around the city, and involved all relevant stakeholders, over the period from September to December 2013. It is noted the location is on a route of Connecting Leicester (to Abbey Park).
The £4.5m Project also includes remediation of the previously contaminated site and the provision of car parking and landscaping.
The Arena project build was led by the Riders through LCSAL, with an agreed management and governance structure with the Council and Leicester College.
The Arena will be operated on a not-for-profit basis with all surpluses re-invested either in the Arena or in sports community outreach activities in deprived local communities, as are already being delivered by the Riders through the Leicester Riders Foundation.
The Arena Business Plan leverages the very large community development programmes of Leicester Riders. The Arena will deliver highly structured community sports participation opportunities for the community.
GFS Associates, of St. Petersburg, FL, USA, has signed an agreement with Astana Sports and Management Group – part of the Astana Presidential Sports Club in Astana, Kazakhstan – to provide management services for the city’s new 12,000-seat Barys Arena, which is part of a larger sports complex now under construction. The news was announced by GFS Associates’ President, Michel F. Sauers, earlier this week.
Sauers said the Arena’s first hockey game will be held on October 27, when the hometown Barys Astana hockey club of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) takes the ice in its new home rink.
Yerlan Kozhagapanov, President of Astana Presidential Sports Club, said:
We are extremely pleased to now have the resources of Mich Sauers and GFS Associates to provide us with guidance and experience in all of the important areas of design, management and customer services. Our mission is to make Astana the sports centre of Kazakhstan. This spectacular new arena and the events it will showcase are just a part of a larger sports venue that eventually will focus worldwide attention on our city.
Sauers added:
This is a great opportunity for GFS Associates and our efforts in the international arena. We will bring the Astana Presidential Sports Club a broad spectrum of management services that our company personnel have accrued and perfected during their many years in the public assembly venue industry. We look forward to an outstanding and fruitful professional partnership with Mr. Kozhagapanov and the Presidential Sports Club.
Sauers advised that the state-of-the-art Barys Arena has 60 suites, four concourses, a centre-hung video scoreboard, two ribbon display boards, three outdoor video boards, a 300-person restaurant, full technical support facilities, video production facilities, multiple team locker rooms and dressing rooms, and the ability to adjust the dasher board system to accommodate both international and NHL hockey games.
The Astana Presidential Sports Club was created in 2012 to bring together under a single management umbrella all of the major professional sports organisations in the country and to provide first-class facilities in Astana in which they can play and perform.
GFS Associates www.gfsassociates.com provides management and consulting services for venues of all sizes and functions, including development, operations and administration of stadiums, arenas, convention centres, expo centres, amphitheatres and sports complexes.
| GFS Associates is looking for a highly motivated sports and entertainment professional to serve as General Manager for the new state-of-the-art 12,000-seat arena in Astana, Kazakhstan.This position has direct supervision over management, supervisory, professional, technical and clerical staff of the venue.The GM will be required to:
Manage and participate in the development and administration of the venue budget; direct the forecast of additional funds needed for staffing, equipment, materials, and supplies; direct the monitoring of and approve expenditures; and implement budgetary adjustments as necessary. Negotiate contracts or supervise negotiations with clients for the rental of the venue facilities and services; review and sign all space agreements. Select, train, motivate and evaluate venue personnel; provide or coordinate staff training; work with employees to correct deficiencies; implement discipline and termination procedures. Direct and monitor the activities of the food service contractor. Plan, direct and coordinate the venue’s work plan; meet with staff to identify and resolve problems; assign projects and programmatic areas of responsibility; review and evaluate work methods and procedures. Generous salary and benefits package. |
The ideal candidate will possess:
Interested parties should send their CV’s to: info@GFSAssociates.com GFS Associates specialises in providing consulting services to arenas, stadiums, convention, trade and conference centers worldwide. For additional information, please visit the website at: www.GFSAssociates.com or contact the office at or email: Info@GFSassociates.com
Barys Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena currently under construction in Astana, Kazakhstan. It will replace the Kazakhstan Sports Palace as the home arena of Barys Astana of the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). The arena will seat 12,000 spectators for ice hockey when it opens in time for the start of the 2015-16 KHL season.
To find out more about the developments at sports venues across the Asia Pacific region, make sure to attend our ‘live’ event, the Stadia & Arena Asia Pacific 2015 conference & exhibition, where all of the top sports architects & designers will be in attendance, along with top-level representatives from sports federations, as well as venue owners & operators. To guarantee your place at this must-attend event, simply visit the website at: www.saevents.uk.com |
The Bristol Arena is a 12,000-capacity performance venue that is due to be located close to Bristol Temple Meads station on Arena Island – the former diesel depot site. The Arena will be a catalyst for development in the Bristol Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone and will attract millions of pounds of investment to the city region.
Bristol City Council has published a contract notice in the Official Journal of the EU for a contractor to take on construction of the new arena (expected to cost in the region of GBP£65m to GBP£98m) and hopes to have a contractor in place by this July.
The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), is also investing GBP£11m to build a new bridge across the river from Cattlemarket Road and has commissioned a masterplan for the whole site to show how lively streets, public spaces and large and small buildings could complement an arena.
According to the Brief, which is available on The Construction Index.com, Bristol City Council is in the process of appointing a multi-disciplinary design team that will be novated to the Design and Build contractor during RIBA work Stage 3 or 4. The Council wishes to appoint a suitable Design and Build contractor to complete the design and construct the arena and associated works, including hard and soft landscaping, roads and car parking, computers, telecommunication, Wi-Fi, mechanical, electrical installations, including stage and acoustics works and the installation of the Arena operator’s facilities through a two-stage design and build procurement process. During stage 1 of the design and build process (the Pre-Construction Agreement), Bristol City Council reserves the right to select a Reserve Bidder. Further details about the Reserve Bidder position will be included in the Invitation to Tender documents. A bidder’s day, at which more information about the project will be disclosed, is planned for January 28, 2015. Attendance is by invitation only and anyone wishing to attend is encouraged to contact Andrea Vasconcelos by email at the earliest opportunity to book a place: andrea.vasconcelos@bristol.gov.uk.
Latest developments
Work will start on site early in 2016 and the Arena is due to open in 2017.
As previously reported, the five shortlisted design teams competing are:
For the full bidding details of the main construction contract, see Contract Leads section on The Construction Index.com.
The Bristol Arena has moved a significant step closer with the announcement that the UK’s largest arena operator SMG, in partnership with largest international live entertainment company Live Nation, have been named as the Preferred Bidder to operate the new venue.
The decision was taken at a Cabinet meeting when Mayor George Ferguson told Cabinet Members that he believed that it represented a fundamental milestone in the development of the new arena:
Interest from bidders in operating the 12,000 capacity Bristol Arena has been highly competitive. SMG and Live Nation will bring the combined expertise of two global businesses experienced in running arenas worldwide and delivering exciting programmes of concerts and events. Their bid represents a good deal for the city and gives yet further confidence of a firm footing on which to move forward towards a 2017 arena opening when we can look forward to welcoming world-class performers to the region.
SMG President & CEO Wes Westley said:
Both SMG and Live Nation are delighted to be named the preferred bidder for Bristol Arena. We think the Arena will be a fantastic venue for future entertainment and community events. This unique partnering of global giants Live Nation and SMG will ensure that the Arena is operated at a world class level with top events for Bristolians and the South West. We look forward to establishing long term relationships with the council, stakeholders and the community creating exciting times ahead.
Paul Latham, Chief Operating Officer for Live Nation Entertainment said:
With our shared vision and combined expertise of managing multiple venues and arenas across the world, we are confident that together we will provide the very best operational structure and live entertainment experience and contribute significantly to the city’s economic growth and profile to create a must play destination on the touring circuit.
Once negotiations reach their final close, the operator will be contracted to programme the venue, including input into its design, as well as to maintain and manage the Arena for the duration of the 25 year lease that is being awarded.
The news follows the announcement last month of the shortlisted design teams for the arena following a Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) design competition. The shortlisted teams of architects and engineers are (in alphabetical order): Grimshaw, architects of the Eden Project; Idom Ingeneria y Consultoria, designers of Bilbao Arena; Populous, the global architecture giant that has a vast number of sports venue projects to its name, including London’s Olympic Stadium; White Arkitekter, masterplanners for Kiruna, Sweden; and Wilkinson Eyre, architects of Liverpool Arena.
The multi-disciplinary teams include architects and engineers, and all have experience of delivering major venues in the UK or overseas. They will now work on their design proposals for the Bristol Arena, which will be submitted within the coming days. A public exhibition of all five design proposals will then take place later this month prior to a decision being made in March.
The GBP£90m, 12,000-capacity Arena is set to be located on the former diesel depot site next to Bristol Temple Meads railway station in the Bristol Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone. It is expected to bring millions of pounds of additional spend and over 900 jobs to the region.
Approximate timetable:
For the latest news on the project, go to: http://www.bristoltemplequarter.com/key-projects/arena/latest-news
Bristol’s Mayor, George Ferguson, has announced a shortlist of five experienced design teams for the 12,000-capacity Bristol Arena, at his annual State of the City address last night. He also told the 1,000-strong audience at Bristol University that, subject to final negotiations and Cabinet approval, a preferred operator for the arena has been selected and is likely to be announced in December.
The announcement of the shortlisted design teams followed a Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) International Design Competition that was launched in August. Over 30 teams from across the world, expressed interest in designing the cultural venue that will be located close to Bristol Temple Meads Station and is due to open towards the end of 2017. The five teams are:
Grimshaw: is leading a consortium of architects and designers, which is said to have a “comprehensive knowledge of arena venues, along with large-scale cultural destinations”. Previous projects they have been involved in include Wimbledon No.1 Court; the Eden Project; and The Curragh Racecourse in Ireland.
IDOM: is an international architectural and engineering company, which has designed Bilbao Arena; and the new 55,000-seat San Mames Football stadium for Athletic Bilbao.
Populous: one of the world’s leading designers of sports and entertainment facilities, having worked on more than 2,000 projects, including London’s Olympic Stadium and O2 Arena; O2 World Berlin; 3Arena in Dublin; and the First Direct Arena in Leeds.
Wilkinson Eyre Architects: twice winners of both the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize and the RIBA Lubetkin Prize, boast a portfolio of “bold, beautiful and intelligent architecture”, including the Liverpool Arena and Convention Centre; the Cooled Conservatories at Gardens by the Bay in Singapore; the London 2012 Olympic Basketball Arena; and the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympic Training Centre.
White Arkitekter: is Scandinavia’s leading architectural firm and recent projects include the Tele2 Arena, a 30,000-seat sports venue in Stockholm; a cultural centre in Umeå; and a £1.3bn hospital in Stockholm billed as “Europe’s greenest”; as well as a 100-year masterplan to relocate the city of Kiruna in the north of Sweden
The multi-disciplinary teams include architects and engineers and all have experience of delivering major venues in the UK or overseas. They will now work on their design proposals for the Bristol Arena, which will be submitted in January 2015. A public exhibition of all five design proposals will take place in January prior to a decision being made in March.
A report recommending a preferred and reserve operator for the arena is due to go to Cabinet in December. The operator will programme the venue, maintain and manage the facility for the duration of the 25 year lease and input into its design.
We are at an important milestone in the development of Bristol’s new entertainment arena. Subject to final negotiation and Cabinet consideration on 2nd December, we have selected a highly experienced arena operator, to manage and programme this major venue.I am also delighted with the level of high level interest that we have had in the RIBA design competition. We have been through a rigorous selection process to settle on a competition short list of five extremely talented design teams with a wealth of experience between them.
I am confident that the new arena will provide one of the very best experiences for audiences and major acts and that it will make a huge contribution to the regeneration of the Bristol Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone. This takes us a couple of major steps closer to a 2017 delivery of this much needed venue for the city region.
Lynne Sullivan of RIBA commented:
Overall, the quality of the competition submissions was extraordinarily good and we are satisfied that those chosen for the second stage of the city’s exciting journey, to deliver the heart of Bristol’s new quarter, will bring the right combination of experience and inspiration to the final selection of the Bristol Arena design team.
Colin Skellett, Chair of the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership added:
The level of interest in the new arena is excellent, with a strong shortlist of design teams demonstrating the extent of the ambition. This important development will bring economic benefits, jobs and growth to the city region.
The Bristol Arena is due to open towards the end 2017 and will be located in the Bristol Temple Quarter Enterprise Zone.
Latest developments
Work will start on site early in 2016 and the arena is due to open in 2017.
For more information, visit: http://www.bristoltemplequarter.com/key-projects/arena
