Leeds City Council (LCC) has confirmed that construction work is to begin on a new £27m wellbeing centre at Holt Park next month after the project was received the final green light. The local authority is overseeing the development and has been informed by the Department of Health that the proposals have been formally approved by the Treasury. Funded through the Private Finance Initiative, the work will be undertaken through

Sedgemoor District Council (SDC) has announced that work is now underway on a £6.3m swimming pool, which will form part of Bridgwater's Trinity Sports and Leisure Centre. The local authority is working with Somerset County Council; BAM; Futures for Somerset; and leisure trust 1610 on the scheme, which follows the opening of dry facilities last month. A 25m, six-lane swimming pool; a training pool; and changing rooms are being built

Barnsley Premier Leisure (BPL) has provided a first look at how the new themed Calypso Cove will look at the South Yorkshire town's Metrodome Waterpark. Due to reopen in February 2012, the theming and design of the aqua attraction is being led by 3D Creations and will complement the new flumes which are being installed. Calypso Cove will also offer interactive features in the pools, while the poolside diner is

Hotel and Spa do Vinho in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, is set to become the latest property to join Marriott International's Autograph Collection early next year. The 128-bedroom property will join the collection under a franchise agreement with Harvest Administração d Bens Ltda and is located in the Bento Conçalves wine-making region. Facilities include the Spa do Vinho Caudalie, which offers wine- and vine- inspired therapies

Plans for a major £20m (EUR23.8m, US$31m) mixed-use development on Saudi Arabia's east coast have been unveiled by the UK-based multi-disciplinary firm, Capita Symonds. The firm designed the 50,000sq ft (4,645sq m) project on behalf of a private client, which is poised to include a new gymnasium and a spa facility within a six-storey building. It is expected that work will start in early 2012, with the design of the

UK-based multi-disciplinary consulting firm Capita Symonds has confirmed work has now started on the infrastructure for a £50m (EUR59.7m) mixed-use project in Nicosia, Cyprus. The Riviera development is located in the suburbs of the city and is designed by ESA, which was acquired by Capita Symonds for an undisclosed sum in October this year. Two distinct but connected parts form part of the scheme: a residential area and an 18,000sq

Major League Soccer (MLS) club Houston Dynamo has announced that its new stadium in downtown Houston, Texas, US, is poised to host its first game on 12 May 2012. Designed by Populous, the 22,000-seat venue is one of the first "soccer-specific" grounds to be developed by a MLS club in a downtown location and is sited near Minute Maid Park. It has also been revealed that Houston Dynamos has signed

Stanford University's board of trustees has approved plans for a US$30.5m (€23m, £20m) arts museum which will house the university's Anderson Collection. New York-based Ennead Architects have been appointed to design the 30,000sq ft building, which will be one of two new arts buildings at the institution. It will house dedicated museum spaces and a public lobby, as well as offices, a conference room, a library/study area and space for

Members of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea's (RBKC) cabinet have agreed to commit £24.7m towards a new leisure centre for North Kensington, London. A number of design and cost options for the leisure centre have been prepared by architects Studio E, which were considered alongside proposals for a new academy for the area. The refurbishment of North Kensington's existing facility was discussed but was ruled out on the

London-based exhibition and museum designer Casson Mann has announced that it has been tasked with drawing up plans for a new flagship gallery at the National Maritime Museum (NMM), London. The group will work on one of two new permanent galleries that are planned for the attraction - Navy, Nation and Nelson 1688-1815. Exploring the history of the Royal Navy and its role during 18th century Britain, Casson Mann will

A major £20.6m renovation of the National Indoor Arena (NIA) in Birmingham is set to deliver improved facilities and a greater emphasis on the pre- and post-show experience. Designs for the scheme have been drawn up by Broadway Malyan, with work due to commence in late 2012 and help transform the venue into the "next generation of arena" for the city. The modernisation plans have been designed to make the

Ukrainian vice prime minister and minister of infrastructure Borys Kolesnikov has unveiled plans to develop a new "tourist city" near Yevpatoria over the next three-and-a-half years. Addressing delegates at the recent Inside Ukraine conference, Kolesnikov said the project is part of a national programme to transform the Crimean peninsula into a visitor destination. It is expected the development will be built from scratch and will offer hotel accommodation and opportunities

Bristol Rovers Football Club (BRFC) has finalised the legal agreements for a proposed new stadium with the University of West England (UWE) and supermarket chain Sainsbury's. A 20,000-seat ground with "extensive" club shop; a banqueting and hospitality suite; a gym; and a jogging track is to be built on land near the university's Frenchay campus in Bristol. Teaching space for the university and a convenience store will also form part

Boringdon Hall Hotel director James Nettleton has announced plans for a new multi-million pound development to include a spa and a 60-bedroom expansion of the Devon property. Further details of the project are expected to be announced in the New Year, with Plymouth-based ADG chosen as architects and Ward Williams Associates named as project manager. The planned scheme follows the announcement earlier this year that the Nettleton Group had taken

UK-based Extreme Hotels has agreed a 10-year management deal for a 209-bedroom hotel in Sochi, Russia, with Rosa Khutor Ski Resort Development Company (RKSR). Scheduled to open in early 2015, Extreme Hotel Sochi will be located close to the city’s Alpine Ski slopes and the Snow Board Park - venues that will host downhill events at the 2014 Winter Olympics. The property is the seventh to be added to Extreme

The Residence Mauritius has announced the unveiling of its new-look Sanctuary Spa, which has undergone an extensive EUR700,000 (£597,000, US$939,000) refurbishment. Facilities at the 600sq m (6,458sq ft) spa include 11 treatment rooms, including two couples' rooms, which feature an Asian-influenced design with pebbled floors and lattice furniture. Beauty and haircare treatments have been designed by France-based brand Carita, which has developed the Haute Beauté concept in reference to the

Hotel and resort operator Four Seasons has opened its newest property in Baltimore, US. The 256-bedroom Four Seasons Baltimore boasts a 10,00sq ft (950sq m) spa with eleven treatment rooms including several suites with private soaking tubs - and separate men's and women's relaxation areas, sauna and steamrooms. Featuring products and treatments by ESPA, the spa also has a large relaxation zone with two pools - including a year-round heated

Nashville mayor Karl Dean has published the findings of an evaluation study that identifies three potential locations for the city's minor-league baseball stadium in Tennessee, US. The East Bank of the Cumberland River; Sulphur Dell near Germantown; and North Gulch north of Charlotte Avenue are the earmarked sites for the proposed development. Populous conducted the study on behalf of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, with each of

The construction of a new multi-million pound leisure centre in south London has reached its latest milestone after contractor Willmott Dixon topped out the building in late October. Roberts Limbrick Architects have designed the new Forest Hill venue, which will be owned by Lewisham Council and operated by Fusion Lifestyle when it is unveiled in late 2012. Facilities are to feature a 25m swimming pool; a 16.7m learner pool; a

Wolverhampton City Council (WCC) and former Wolverhampton Wanderers and England goalkeeper Bert Williams have officially opened Bilston's new £18.6m leisure centre. The Bert Williams Leisure Centre was unveiled by the 91-year-old together with city mayor Bert Turner and has been built to replace the town's existing Bilston Leisure Centre. Facilities at the 5,600sq m (60,278sq ft) venue comprise a 25m, eight-lane swimming pool; a studio pool; a sauna; a dance

Two properties in the Playa del Carmen enclave on Mexico's eastern Caribbean coast have become the latest additions to Mélia Hotels International's (MHI) Paradisus resort brand. Paradisus La Perla, the brand's first adults-only resort, and Paradisus La Esmeralda share a common area called El Zocalo, which contains the Palapa activities centre and a theatre. A 20,000sq ft (1,858sq m) YHI Spa and Health Club also features as part of El

The first phase of a £10.6m project to refurbish Royal Court Theatre Liverpool is to start in February 2012 after receiving support from the Heritage Lottery Funding (HLF). An £867,800 grant has been awarded to the Royal Court Liverpool Trust (RCLT) towards a major Allford Hall Monaghan Morris (AHMM)-designed overhaul of the historic venue. AHMM were selected to design the refurbishment after being one of seven shortlisted firms and proposed

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) in California, US, has revealed detailed designs for its proposed expansion project, the scope of which has now been increased. The attraction has revealed that it has raised its fundraising goal by 15 per cent to US$555m (£354m, EUR411m) to help create more spaces for education, exhibitions and collections. Building on concept designs unveiled in May, new detailed proposals comprise ground-level galleries and

Casson Mann has revealed that it is working in partnership with Paris-based architects X-Tu on the development of a new international cultural wine centre for Bordeaux, France. The facility, which forms part of a strategy to promote the city as the world's wine capital, is due to open in 2014 and will explore the stories behind wine and its place within culture. It is hoped the Centre for Wine Culture

Amber Valley Borough Council (AVBC) has acquired 0.8-acres (0.3-hectares) of land off Field Lane, Belper, to progress the development of a new leisure centre for the town. The deal was concluded for £1.136m from existing local authority resources, with the land bought from a private owner. The development site is now a total of 2.1 acres (0.8 hectares). Healey Associates are behind the design of the new facility, which will

The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) is to be dissolved next year, having being earmarked for closure in the 2010 Comprehensive Spending Review. Subject to Parliamentary approval, dissolution will take place after minister John Penrose laid a statutory instrument and explanatory memorandum at the Houses of Parliament. CABE has already transferred design review activities to a Design Council subsidiary, with Open City Architecture taking on its joint

Irish minister for public expenditure and reform Brendan Howlin has helped mark the start of work on a new EUR10.5m (£9m) sports campus at Waterford Institute of Technology (WIT). The multi-purpose arena, which will be located at Carriganore and has been designed by Turlough Clancy of Henry J Lyons, will complement the existing EUR8.5m (£7.3m) WIT Sports Arena and integrate with the pavilion and changing areas. Facilities will include an