Plans for 15,000 arena revealed

PLANS for a new 15,000-seater indoor arena in Cardiff Bay which could be finalised next year have been revealed.

The council is planning the new arena on the site of the current Red Dragon Centre in Lloyd George Avenue. Before that happens a new Red Dragon retail centre would be built next to the site, while a multi-storey car park would be built first to make up for the loss of car parking.

The council hopes to approve the plans in March, before a planning application is submitted in July 2019. If the plans progress the council would buy the site of the current Red Dragon Centre from current owners the British Airways Pension Fund - and work with their delivery partner Reef Group to transform the site.

On November 15 the cabinet will be asked to approve the next stage of the development.

Under the proposals, the council would first fund the acquisition of the site and the development of the new multi-storey car park which would be built on the Red Dragon Centre’s current overflow car park. The Reef Group, working with the council, would then fund and deliver the replacement Red Dragon Centre, which would cover around 200,000 sq ft, what is now the main car park of the centre. This would then free up the site of the existing Red Dragon Centre building to be demolished to make way for the new indoor arena.

Reef would be obliged to acquire the site of the new retail development from the council, which would then contribute to the cost of the arena.