Ceremony marks progress on new £45.8m entertainment venue

A ceremony has taken place to mark the progress being made on the construction of Derby’s new £45.8 million entertainment and conference venue.

Senior figures from Derby City Council, along with its project partners, recently visited the Becketwell site to ceremoniously sign one of the development’s steel beams.

The event celebrated completion of the external structure and roof of the building, which is being built by Bowmer + Kirkland.

Once built, the new venue will have a 3,500-capacity and be capable of staging a range of shows and events.

Councillor Nadine Peatfield, the city council’s cabinet member for city centre, regeneration, culture and tourism, said: “I’m thrilled to see the progress being made and have this unique opportunity to add our own individual mark in the legacy of this landmark building.

“This venue is a key part of our journey to transform Derby into a vibrant city centre with culture at its heart. It’s really exciting to see the structure go up and the space take shape at such pace.”

Heage-based Bowmer + Kirkland, which is the main contractor for the project, took over the site in June last year.

By December, the steelwork, alongside the rows of concrete steps, which will create the tiered seating area, had been put in place.

The roof is now ready for a concrete pour, which will be followed by a layer of insulation, plasterboard and quilting to the underside to ensure the building is soundproofed.

Gus Kedzior, regional commercial director at Bowmer + Kirkland, said: “This is a great moment for all the project team but also for Derby and the wider community.

“Completion of the steel frame now means that we can see the shape and size of the venue and in less than a year we will be handing the project over to Derby City Council.”

The finished building will contain 1,200 tonnes of steel. Heavy machinery helped the 10 operatives responsible for fixing the steel into place.

The heaviest single piece weighs 3.5 tonnes and the longest single span of steel is 12.9 metres.

Built on the site of the former Pink Coconut nightclub, in Colyear Street, Laurie House offices, a multi-storey car park and Padley House, in Becket Street, the new venue is set to significantly enhance the city’s cultural offering.

Boasting a larger and more flexible space than the city centre has had in the past, the venue will complement the activities of Derby Arena.

It will be a scalable space capable of staging a range of concerts, stand-up comedy, family shows, musical theatre, exhibitions and business events.

The venue is set to host over 200 cultural and commercial events each year and expected to attract an additional 250,000 visitors to Derby.

It is also expected to create over 200 new jobs and provide the impetus to kick-start further investment in surrounding areas of the city centre.

The venue will be owned by Derby City Council and leased to and operated by ASM Global, the world’s leading venue management and services company.

Construction work is progressing to plan with practical completion and handover scheduled for the first quarter of 2025.

The project forms the second phase of the £200 million Becketwell regeneration scheme.

Phase one included the city’s first purpose-built build-to-rent scheme. The Condor is owned and operated by Grainger plc and is now almost fully let.

The Becketwell regeneration scheme is being led by property developer St James Securities.

Development director Paul Morris said: “The steel-signing ceremony is a significant milestone in the construction of the long-awaited new entertainment and conference venue for the city.

“Despite the terrible weather conditions over the past few months, construction has continued apace, and the building is really taking shape now.

“We look forward to celebrating the completion of the arena at a topping-out ceremony later this year.”