Jobs bonanza in £35m transformation of city
MAJOR plans to regenerate Swansea’s city centre will be worth millions of pounds to the city’s economy and will create hundreds of jobs, according to a new report.
An economic impact study into phase one of the Swansea Central development has found it will generate £35.4m and create 560 jobs during a two-year construction period.
Phase one of the development will see a new 3,500-capacity digital indoor arena, digital square, hotel and car park on the current LC car park site, along with a broad pedestrian bridge over Oystermouth Road.
Swansea Council has carried out an economic impact study into the development, which suggests it will be a big boost to the city’s economy.
It states that 560 jobs will be created under the construction phase of the project, which is being managed by Rivington Land.
Survey work will soon start at the site.
The study has also found that the digital indoor arena, hotel and other facilities, once operational, will be worth £11.9m a year to Swansea’s economy, helping support 469 jobs.
Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart said: “The Swansea Central development is vitally important to the city centre, not just because of the top quality facilities residents and visitors will enjoy, but also because of the jobs and opportunities it will generate for Swansea people and Swansea businesses.
“It’s important that local firms are part of the development so that the jobs local people need are created locally and the money we spend on building our new city stays within and benefits the region.
“These new jobs will contribute to the 35,000 new jobs we plan to create from the City Deal and other projects.
“With work on phase one of the Swansea Central development due to start on site next year, we’re on track for the digital square, hotel, new car park, new pedestrianised bridge over Oystermouth Road and new digital indoor arena to be up and running by 2020, which will create hundreds more jobs, act as a catalyst for other city centre sites and generate more footfall and spending for existing traders.
“This will then help attract even more investment in future.”
Ambassador Theatre Group (ATG) will be heading up the digital indoor arena, which aims to host 200 days of concerts, exhibitions and other events every year.
It is now working closely with Swansea Council and Rivington Land on the scheme and on the detailed design of the attraction.
Under phase two of the Swansea Central development there will be new shops, restaurants, cafes, a boutique cinema and a variety of different facilities based on the former St David’s shopping centre site.
Mark Bowen, managing director of Andrew Scott Limited in Margam, which specialises in construction and civil engineering, said local firms would feel the benefits of the development.
He said: “All the schemes are capable of being done there by local companies.
“It’s a massive investment for the Swansea city region and the city centre.
“The scheme has been a long time in the planning but hopefully now the vision that the council have got and obviously Rob Stewart is pushing it and hopefully it will come to fruition. “It’s really exciting for the region.” Mr Bowen said the company, which is nearly 150 years old, would be looking to bid for contracts for the work, as it had previously worked on the Scarlets stadium Parc y Scarlets and another stadium in London.
He said the work could generate roles for quantity surveyors, civil engineers, building engineers and graduates.
“The opportunity is there to assist the local companies to grow,” he said.
“For us it’s sustainable jobs as the city region will grow and hopefully construction companies will grow.
“The size of project should not be a barrier to any local company.
“It’s very exciting and we hope to benefit from it.”
Outline planning permission for the overall scheme was first rubberstamped in June.