Tuesday, November 10, 2015
THE Chief Executive of Cork City Council said she is very confident contracts for the construction of Cork’s events centre will be signed shortly.
Ann Doherty was speaking after councillors again raised concerns about the delay in the commencement of the project. The City Council and the Government have agreed to support the project with €20m in public funding.
Fianna Fáil councillor Nicholas O’Keeffe asked officials for an update on the project. He was told that discussions were ongoing with all sides actively engaged in seeking mutual acceptable terms of a final contract arrangement.
The concert venue planned for the former Beamish Brewery site.
The concert venue planned for the former Beamish Brewery site.
“While the length of delay in formal contract signing is regrettable it is not unusual in projects of this level of risk and complexity,” the head of Economic Development Pat Ledwidge said.
“Until the formal contract is signed a commencement date for construction is not possible to predict.”
At last night’s council meeting Ms Doherty assured councillors that matters are progressing.
“Things have moved a bit along and I remain absolutely confident this will be signed in the near future,” Ms Doherty said.
The developers behind the events centre, Bam, and the venue operators, Live Nation, are still in negotiations.
According to the plans a new €54m, 6,000-capacity events and concert arena will be built on the site of the former Beamish & Crawford brewery site at South Main Street.
However the events centre is just one element of the project. The entire site will also include new apartments, shops, a cinema, two new footbridges and laneways, a brewery museum and viewing tower accommodating a two-storey bar and restaurant.