Showpiece convention centre hit by delays

Aug 23 2007 by Larry Neild, Liverpool Daily Post

LIVERPOOL’S new showpiece convention centre is weeks behind schedule and will not be finished until April, the Daily Post can reveal.

The worst June weather on record was last night cited as the main reason for delays to building work at the waterfront Kings Dock venue.

Liverpool Arena and Convention Centre chief executive Bob Prattey said the setback will not affect the Capital of Culture opening ceremony in the new arena early in January.

He insisted the hiccup on the convention centre side of the ACC will not affect events already booked for the venue.

Event managers are now holding urgent talks with organisers who have already booked facilities for spring events.

Talks are also taking place with builders Bovis Lend Lease to tackle the impact of the delay.

They say the overall delay of a few weeks should be considered a short one, put into context of historic major hold-ups in building other leisure structures like London’s new Wembley stadium.

“We are confident events already booked in the period between the end of February and April can easily be accommodated within the building,” said Mr Prattey.

“We are in talks and we are confident arrangements will be made that are suitable to everyone.

“The extreme weather has presented a problem because the building is a very complex design and every piece of glazing has been specially made. It needs accurate fitting and the storms made this work difficult during June.

“Construction work across the North West as well as in Liverpool also made it harder for the contractor to find enough workers at the right time and with the right skills, and this has also not helped.

“It is great news that the Liverpool Echo Arena will be complete and open in time for the Capital of Culture opening event.

“The Convention Centre’s multi-purpose hall and the extensive Galleria will also be complete and open on time and we expect fitting out of the upper level of the convention centre to be complete by April.

“It is worth noting also that additional improvements to the landscaping around the venue, plus upgraded interior finishes, will result in an end product even better than that which was originally planned.”

The delay will not have any affect on the large arena, the link Galleria or the multi-purpose function hall.

It will only affect the upper level of the Convention Centre, with work expected to be finished six weeks after the first conference is due to take place. The upper level includes the main convention auditorium and break-out areas.

It had always been planned for the upper level to open later than the adjoining arena because of the technical work needed for conference facilities.

A spokesman for construction company Bovis Lend Lease said: “Work on the Arena is going well and we are working closely with the management team at ACC Liverpool to ensure they are kept informed about progress on the upper level of the Convention Centre.”

larryneild