Steel-Signing Celebrates Progress at Derby's New Entertainment and Conference Venue

DERBY, U.K. - March 19, 2024 - PRLog -- A special ceremony has taken place to mark the progress made on the construction of Derby's new £45.8m entertainment and conference venue.

Senior figures from Derby City Council and project partners 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.

The main contractors, Heage-based Bowmer + Kirkland, took over the site in June 2023 and 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 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.

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 on Colyear Street, Laurie House offices, multi-storey car park and Padley House in Becket Street, the new venue is set to enhance to the city's cultural offering.

Boasting a larger space than the city centre has had in the past, the venue will complement the activities of Derby Arena to provide the best possible events programme for Derby and the wider region.

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 local 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 operated by ASM Global, the world's leading venue management and services company, and producer of live experiences.

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

The new 3,500 capacity entertainment and conference venue forms the second phase of the £200m Becketwell regeneration scheme, the most significant urban rejuvenation project for more than three decades.

Phase one includes the city's first purpose-built Build to Rent scheme. The Condor is owned and operated by Grainger plc and now almost fully let. The adjacent Springwell Square, a new public green space for the city, officially opened in September 2023.

The Becketwell scheme is being developed by St James Securities, a privately-owned Leeds-based property developer, with a track record of delivering successful major regeneration schemes.