Construction of Derby’s new £46 million performance venue has begun as part of the city’s Becketwell regeneration scheme. Derbyshire-based construction group Bowmer + Kirkland is carrying out the work for developer St James Securities.
The 3,500 capacity entertainment and events venue forms phase two of the £200 million Becketwell scheme – the most significant urban regeneration scheme in the city for more than 30 years. It is being built on the site of the former Pennine Hotel, Laurie House offices, a multi-storey car park and Pink Coconut nightclub in Colyear Street, and on the site of Padley House in Becket Street.
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The venue will be owned by Derby City Council and leased to and operated by global venue management and services company ASM Global, which also runs venues including the OVO Arena Wembley, AO Arena in Manchester, the Utilita Arena in Newcastle and Olympia London.
The new venue will create more than 200 jobs and be able to host more than 200 cultural and commercial events each year.
Phase one of the Becketwell development, which comprises 259 one and two-bedroom build-to-rent apartments, is nearing completion alongside a new Springwell Square open space.
Bowmer + Kirkland moved onto the site on June 5, and practical completion is scheduled for January 2025. Peveril Securities, the development arm of the Bowmer + Kirkland Group, is the funding and development partner for future phases of the Becketwell scheme.
St James Securities director Paul Morris said they were delighted to be working with Bowmer + Kirkland.
He said: “I won’t pretend it’s been an easy process to get to this stage; however, I am very proud of the entire professional team involved in this project who have worked tirelessly to ensure that we’ve worked around the many challenges we faced along the way.
“There have been a few naysayers who have sought to publicly criticise us and suggest we would either throw the towel in or return to the Council seeking more money.
“This is simply not how we operate and once we agree a price, as we did with Derby City Council, then we stand by it. We have a wealth of experience in delivering complex, award-winning regeneration schemes and having the financial backing of Peveril Securities has further strengthened our ability to take on these challenges and win.
“The skill set of a dedicated and experienced team, such as the one we have pulled together for the performance venue, allows us to work in a way that central government or local authorities are not able. This is a great example of how the private and public sectors can work in partnership to deliver complex schemes at a fixed price with the private sector absorbing all the development and construction risks which in this project have been substantial.”
Derby City Council leader Coun Baggy Shanker said: “This is an important step forward in finally delivering the new venue Derby needs, which will deliver real, tangible benefits for businesses, residents and visitors.
“Creating a city centre for all is one of our priorities and this new and flexible space is a key part of bringing vibrancy and pride back to our city centre.”
Bowmer + Kirkland regional director Christian Parnell said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been appointed to build Derby’s exciting new entertainment and events venue.
“We are looking forward to working with St James Securities, Derby City Council and ASM Global to deliver this landmark venue for the people of Derby and Derbyshire.”
Bowmer + Kirkland is one of the UK’s biggest privately owned construction and development groups. Over the past five years, the company has secured projects with a value of almost £3 billion.
