Council chiefs to name builder of 13,500-seat arena this week

COUNCIL chiefs in Leeds are set to decide who will build the Leeds Arena.

Senior councillors from Leeds City Council's executive board will meet tomorrow to endorse the selection of a preferred contractor for the scheme and an announcement will be made the following day during a visit to the arena site at Clay Pit Lane, in the heart of the city.

Last night council chiefs said the move will be a major step forward in the delivery of the 13,500 capacity arena.

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The announcement of the preferred contractor, and reserve contractor on Thursday follows the recent decision to grant outline planning permission for the arena building. The project remains on track for the construction contractor to take control of the site this year, with completion fully on course for 2012.

Demolition of the Brunswick building is now complete and construction work on the project is currently scheduled to start late in 2010, with the arena due to open late in 2012.

Coun Andrew Carter, the leader of Leeds City Council, said yesterday: "The announcement of the preferred construction contractor is a huge step forward in this important development project.

"The development sector in Leeds has taken quite a few knocks recently, with a number of high profile projects being put on hold or cancelled and the positive impact of the arena construction simply cannot be underestimated.

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"It provides a welcome boost for the construction sector during what are difficult economic times and, importantly, it will create jobs and provide training opportunities for local people – a win-win situation."

Council chiefs say the arena will protect around 100 construction jobs and create an additional 100 jobs with 90 apprenticeships potentially created.

Last year almost 10m of funding for the arena pledged by development agency Yorkshire Forward was approved by the Government, prompting anger from Sheffield businesses and MPs who fear it could dent visitor numbers for the Sheffield Arena.