The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Dundee City Council has signed an agreement with a company planning on building a 4,000-seat ‘esports’ arena in the waterfront development. Our computer graphic shows how the arena will look in the city.
Council and developer team up with university and college for venture
Dundee City Council has entered into an exclusivity agreement with a company that plans to bring a 4,000-capacity esports arena to the waterfront.
Esports is sports competitions using computer games, with teams often competing for multi-million-pound prize pots.
Northern Lights Arena Europe Limited (NLAE) plans to build a multipurpose arena that will host esports and other sporting events as well as an esportsacademy, retail, accommodation and working spaces.
The company’s chairman is former BBC chairman Michael Grade and Pierre-Yves Gerbeau, who turned around the fortunes of the Millennium Dome, sits on its board.
It has secured an 18-month exclusivity agreement with the local authority to develop plans for sites 10 and 11 on the waterfront plan, to the east of Slessor Gardens. This will allow the firm to develop its initial design concepts and gain strategic advice and expertise.
The company has entered into agreements with Abertay University and Dundee and Angus College to provide facilities to students on esportsrelated courses.
Northern Lights said the arena could provide educational, economic, entertainment and employment opportunities for Dundee.
Chief executive Chris Turner said: “We are delighted to be able to announce Dundee as the first of several multi-million-pound projects the NLAE team is working on.
“We have been impressed with the forward-looking approach of Dundee City Council and their ambition to have a world-class public space at the heart of Dundee.
“NLAE is working with global technology partners, including Amazon Web Services, to provide unparalleled facilities and experiences.
“NLAE is working with Vital Energi to develop and deliver a low-carbon energy solution for all NLAE projects and other local customers in Dundee City Centre.”
Abertay intends to develop a new range of degree courses related to the global esports job market, with students gaining access to bespoke facilities within the arena complex.
Professor Gregor White, dean of Abertay University’s School of Design and Informatics, said: “Abertay has an international reputation for excellence in the video games sector and is ideally placed to lead the educational delivery aspects of this project, with a view to opening up a new graduate talent pipeline to the esports industry, which is worth more than $1 billion globally each year.”
Cutting-edge facilities and technical infrastructure for the arena and academic campus will be designed with Nottingham Trent University’s Creative Technology faculty, Confetti.
Dundee City Council leader John Alexander said: “Once again, we are showing the power of Dundee’s ambitious agenda. This follows on from the recent announcement of our work with Eden and it’s clear that despite all the current difficulties, there is real momentum behind our plans.
“We are working tirelessly to create jobs and bring investment and there will be further announcements on that front within weeks.
“The egaming industry has seen exponential, multi-billion growth. There’s no reason that the home of GTA, Lemmings and the world’s first computer games design degree shouldn’t be at the forefront of that.”
Mark Flynn, convener of Dundee City Council’s city development committee, added: “As a thriving and recognised cradle for games development I can think of no better place for such a complex to be.”
The architect for the project is London-based Ian Ritchie Architects which has previously delivered Leipzig Glass Hall, The Spire of Dublin and Reina Sofia Museum of Modern Art.
Simon Hewitt, principal of Dundee & Angus College, said: “Dundee & Angus College are proud to be a partner in this exciting and innovative project that will create more opportunities to develop new and existing skills to support the growth of Scotland’s digital economy.”
Caroline Warburton, VisitScotland regional leadership director, said: “This is an incredibly exciting first step in what could be a fantastic addition to Dundee’s tourism industry, potentially creating new jobs and bringing new opportunities for growth within the events and entertainment industry.
“The city is widely regarded for its pioneering role in computer game development so it seems only fitting that it should also be home to such a complex, particularly within Slessor Gardens which has been at the heart of Dundee’s tourism transformation.”