Brighton venue to be replaced
by Pete Hayman | 22 Jan 2009
A major conference and concert venue in Brighton, East Sussex, is to be replaced by a new world-class convention centre under plans revealed by Brighton & Hove City Council (BHCC) and Standard Life Investments.
The proposed redevelopment of the Brighton Centre, which has hosted political party conferences and music events since its opening in 1977, will form part of a wider scheme to regenerate the resort's seafront. A search is now underway for a lead architect and a development team to draw up plans for the scheme, while a contract notice for interested companies is set to be published in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Once a design team is appointed, Standard Life Investments will launch a feasibility study into the plans, which will also include an extension to the existing Churchill Square shopping centre, a four-star hotel integrated with the new convention centre, and leisure facilities. A BHCC spokesperson confirmed that the convention centre specifically aimed at staging large meetings, and that large gigs would be accommodated under separate proposals for a large indoor arena and an ice rink at a new venue at Black Rock.
Mary Mears, leader of BHCC, said: "This development will put Brighton back at the forefront of international conventions market and secure thousands of jobs. That's welcome news at this difficult time." Investment director for Standard Life Investments, Daniel McHugh, added: "We look forward to working on the proposals which have the potential to deliver a unique development of exceptional quality, transforming this area of Brighton."
A major conference and concert venue in Brighton, East Sussex, is to be replaced by a new world-class convention centre under plans revealed by Brighton & Hove City Council (BHCC) and Standard Life Investments. The proposed redevelopment of the Brighton Centre, which has hosted political party conferences and music events since its opening in 1977, will form part of a wider scheme to regenerate the resort's seafront. A search is
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