Building Briefs – December 5th

World-wide venue management company SMG was last week selected as the preferred bidder for the operator for the new Aberdeen Exhibition and Conference Centre which is part of the £333 million site.

SMG, which operates more than 240 entertainment, sports, conference and exhibition venues across the US, Canada, Europe, South America and Asia., was chosen by members on Aberdeen City Council’s finance, policy and resources committee.

The world-class new exhibition and conference centre for Aberdeen and the north east will generate 600 new jobs during the construction period and 352 full-time-equivalent permanent positions by year 10 of operations, and is a key element of Aberdeen City Council’s Strategic Infrastructure Plan to grow and bolster the local economy.

It will anchor existing international events and competing nationally and internationally for new events, as well as by broadening the appeal of the north-east to a global audience.

Over the next 10 years, the new exhibition and conference centre is expected to attract major artists and events to the city, and contribute an additional 4.5 million visitors, £113m of visitor spend and £63m net GVA to the Scottish economy.

It will provide four times the exhibition space available at the current AECC, and increase the maximum capacity to 12,500 in the arena.

It is due to open in 2019.

Works start on Dundee Premier Inn

Construction works have begun on the refurbishment and extension of the Premier Inn at Discovery Quay, Dundee.

Located on the quayside of the River Tay, the four storey hotel will sit next to the new V&A museum, the Discovery Visitor Centre and the soon to be refurbished Dundee railway station.

The scheme, designed by LMA Architects, will see the demolition of the existing restaurant and the construction of two new bedroom blocks around the existing 40 bedrooms which will be refurbished as part of the works. The construction works are being carried out by Ogilvie Construction.

The new scheme will increase the number of bedrooms from 40 to 149 and will include a new Beafeater restaurant with a full glass facade to give uninterrupted panoramic views of the River Tay.

Relocation provides Leith Walk Surgery platform to grow

Works have started on a new £1.17m Leith Walk Surgery meaning more patients can use the practice in the future.

An extra 2,000 patients will be added to the surgery list as a result of the move which will provide a modern and fit-for-purpose facility.

The current surgery, which is based across two different sites, will come together in an historic A-listed Edinburgh property that was once part of Leith Central Station.

Located at the bottom of Leith Walk, at the junction with Duke Street, the surgery will open to patients in spring 2017.

Westerwood Development Group will complete the refurbishment of the surgery. They are represented on the project by commercial property advisers GVA.

Guardbridge biomass scheme claims Scottish Green Energy Award

The £25 million Biomass Energy Centre & District Heating Network for the University of St Andrews has been celebrated at one of Scotland’s most prestigious awards ceremonies, winning the Sustainable Development category of the Scottish Green Energy Awards.

The project saw Vital Energi work in partnership with the University to realise its vision for a campus-wide low carbon energy system by refurbishing an Old paper mill building, transforming it into a state of the art biomass based energy centre that will, in future, form the heart of a planned new technology focused business park.

The new energy system feeds remote university buildings more than 6km away through a highly thermally efficient 23km underground district heating network.

The project will bring significant environmental benefits which will see carbon emissions reduced by over 6,000 tonnes per year.

In addition to the building, mechanical and engineering works, Vital Energi took part in the Guardbridge Guarantee, helping the University to ensure that the project also delivered tangible benefit to Scotland and the local community.

Vital Energi worked closely with all stakeholders including local residents and businesses to maximise local spending (73 per cent) and local employment.

433 local people have benefitted from employment associated with the implementation and continued operation of the scheme over the next five years, 79 per cent of those are employed live within Fife and Central Scotland.

McLaughlin & Harvey shortlisted for three Construction Investing in Talent Awards

McLaughlin & Harvey Construction has been shortlisted as a finalist in three categories in the 2016 Construction Investing in Talent Awards.

The Awards are about rewarding individuals and teams within companies who work hard to attract and retain the best talent.

The categories in which McLaughlin & Harvey Construction have been shortlisted are; Best Diversity and Inclusion Initiative, Best Wellbeing Initiative and Innovation in Recruitment.

McLaughlin & Harvey Construction has committed fully to the principles of the CITB Be Fair initiative. This is designed to engender a culture of fairness, inclusion and respect throughout our directly employed, agency and subcontract workforce.

McLaughlin & Harvey Construction completed equality and diversity training across the Company, face to face rather than via an online computer module. This meant that employees had the opportunity to discuss and address issues in an open forum.

Sweco chosen for National Grid framework

Edinburgh-based engineering, environmental and design consultancy Sweco has been appointed to a multi-million-pound land regeneration consultancy framework, running for at least three years, for National Grid Property across Great Britain.

The firm said its environment and landscape teams will provide regeneration consultancy services.

New Portobello High School officially opened

The new Portobello High School was officially opened by the Lord Provost of Edinburgh Donald Wilson on Friday.

He was joined by Ruth McKay, Portobello High School Head Teacher; Councillor Cammy Day, education convener for the City of Edinburgh Council and Hector MacAulay, Balfour Beatty managing director Scotland, the council’s construction partner, at a special opening ceremony.

The new school is the council’s largest secondary with space for up to 1,400 pupils and opened its doors to students for the first time in October. It has state-of-the-art teaching facilities and both indoor and outdoor sports facilities; including a swimming pool and two all weather pitches. The local community is also benefitting from the new facilities which can be used outside school hours.

In addition, a planning application for a new £1 million park on the site of the old High School building will be submitted early next year.

When delivered, the new park will surround the new St John’s RC Primary School which is due to be completed in 2018.

The new school was given the go ahead after the City of Edinburgh Council successfully took a Private Bill through the Scottish Parliament which changed the status of Portobello Park allowing it to be appropriated for educational purposes.

First glimpse of new look Queen Margaret Academy

Communities across South Ayrshire are being invited to find out more about the planned replacement for Queen Margaret Academy (QMA).

South Ayrshire Council is to hold a public exhibition, prior to submitting a formal planning application, to discuss the pre-application proposals on Tuesday 13 December.

Earlier this year it was announced that QMA would receive part-funding from the ‘Schools for the Future’ programme.

The £25 million project will see £8.5m committed from South Ayrshire Council and £16.5m from the Scottish Government.

Once completed, QMA will transform facilities for the existing school and the wider community for generations.

Fife football academy plans lodged

Plans for a £2.3 million indoor football training facility in Glenrothes have been submitted to Fife Council.

The state-of-the-art complex will play home to the Fife Football Performance Academy and the Fife Elite Football Academy.

The development is also expected to attract the attention of top professional teams requiring training facilities over the winter months.

The new centre will be built next to the existing running track at the Michael Woods Centre, a facility already utilised by Raith Rovers as a training ground.

Funding of £1.8m for the complex is to come from Fife Council, with a further £500,000 allocated from SportScotland.

Central to the new centre will be a 60×40 metre 3G playing surface, equivalent to the eight-a-side outdoor pitch currently in place at the Michael Woods Centre.

Cafe plan on Aberdeen City Council’s menu

Plans to transform a former public toilet building into a cafe could be approved by Aberdeen councillors this week.

Aberdeen City Council’s planning development and management committee will meet on Thursday to decide whether to grant Harry Miller’s application for the facility on the High Street in Old Aberdeen.

The side and rear walls would be demolished and a first floor extension put in place in the building, which was opened in 1932.

Council officers have still recommended approval, with conditions attached.

Clyde Valley Group appoints new chief executive

The Clyde Valley Group has appointed current Maryhill Housing Association chief executive Lynn Wassell as its new chief executive.

In her time at Maryhill, Lynn has led the organisation through a transformational period to a sustainable position of strength and ambition as well as leading the team on a journey of positive culture change.

Lynn was previously chief executive of Partick Housing Association, spent over 10 years with the WM Housing Group in the West Midlands and prior to that held roles in local authorities.

Lynn will officially start with Clyde Valley on 27th February 2017.