Law firm celebrates leading role in new performance venue

Law firm Geldards is celebrating its role in the new Becketwell Live performance venue, acting as legal advisor to Derby City Council.

Its work with the council over the past eight years has culminated in the successful completion of the new £45.8 million venue in the heart of Derby city centre.

On track to open in April, the 3,500-capacity venue, owned by the city council, features state-of-the-art facilities.

Major headline acts have already been confirmed, including comedian John Bishop and music icons Level 42 and Wet Wet Wet.

The new venue hopes to appeal to audiences from far and wide, attracting an additional 250,000 visitors to the city each year and driving up spend on the night-time economy.

Following the signing of the last legal documents, the building was recently handed over to operator ASM Global.

It marks the end of a project that has been ongoing for many years and has involved a large number of Geldards’ specialist lawyers.

The law firm was first instructed on the project by Derby City Council in 2017, acquiring buildings in Victoria Street and Duckworth Square in the first phase of the £200 million Becketwell regeneration project.

Geldards’ public sector team has been providing specialised legal advice throughout the life of the whole development, advising on the acquisition of land and buildings, and the disposal for residential development of The Condor building, as well as the public realm space that provides an attractive entrance to the new venue.

Paul Hilsdon, property partner at Geldards, said: “Geldards is immensely proud to have been associated with a project that will rejuvenate a very important part of the city.

“Many of my colleagues both past and present and across many different legal disciplines have been involved over the years and it took a lot of hard work and professionalism from everyone involved to complete the redevelopment.

“This part of the city has been a development challenge for many years, and it has been a pleasure to work with the officers at Derby City Council who I commend for their vison and determination to successfully deliver a very complex regeneration project.”