Cityheart, BCEGI to part ways on £135m Wigan Galleries
BCEGI has completed an 18-month package of enabling work – but that is where the firm’s involvement in the town centre regeneration project will end.
The China-backed contractor has been involved in the £135m project since Cityheart was appointed to deliver it by Wigan Council in 2021.
However, it is understood the companies will now part ways. Following demolition work by BCEGI and Rhodar, PP O’Connor is now on site for the final enabling phase. Meanwhile, the hunt for a main contractor is well underway.
Cityheart is then expected to appoint a construction outfit for the first built phase in the coming weeks. The selected firm will deliver a market hall, food court, and a 144-bedroom hotel. A pavilion building as well as a cinema and leisure space will come next.
Warren Taylor, chief operating officer at Cityheart, was full of praise for BCEGI.
“BCEGI has undertaken an extensive programme of very complex and carefully sequenced site remediation and demolition works which has progressed at pace over the last year and a half.
“Managing and maintaining the programme over such a complex space is a testament to the fantastic work BCEGI and Rhodar have delivered in clearing and levelling this complex site, paving the way for the first phase of construction work which will commence in the coming months.”
Later phases of the development will include around 500 homes, a multimedia centre, 10,000 sq ft of commercial space, and roughly the same amount of food and beverage accommodation.
Leader of Wigan Council Cllr David Molyneux said he is pleased with how the scheme is progressing.
“A key priority for us on this project is to ensure maximum return on our investment by securing opportunities for local skills and employment and I’m pleased local residents are already reaping those benefits.”
Charmaine O’Connor, chief executive of P.P. O’Connor, said: “We are pleased to support our long-standing client Cityheart with this major redevelopment project and look forward to helping to deliver the next phase of works.”
Wigan Council yet again wasting it’s council tax payers’ money on ridiculous and unwarranted jobs in the wasteland of a town centre. More money needs to be invested into it’s towns of Atherton, Tyldesley & Astley which are always forgotten about. Then again, these towns are thriving without the input of Wigan Council.
By Big Dub
Wasn’t BCEGI appointed along with Cityheart under a competitive procurement process? Hoe can one partner simply walk away from a scheme without the need for re tender?
By Other People
I shopped in Wigan for sixty together with my mum ,the rot set in when Morrisons closed and the council planned another arcade which is too far for pensioners to get to from bus station they should have worked harder to retain retail in the town we have been badly let down .
By Anonymous
A disgraceful waste of money. Someone has to look into this, it’s a disgrace what’s happening here when the rest of the borough is falling apart. What expertise do this Council have to support this level of public sector exposure with little chance of any return. The leader will have to be held accountable for these decisions.
By Clear
Get ready for many months of zero activity, no money , no affordable design no chance
By Anonymous
Sounds like BCEGI and Wigan couldn’t agree on a final price for the main scheme.
By Mancunian
This can’t be good for Wigan, BCEGI were on board for the whole development but it sounds like with rising costs they have just walked away- meaning the next partner will likely want even more money. Hope Wigan dont roll over and have their belly tickled, there’s already a lot of frustration over what people see as a potential white elephant
By JB
So, despite all the back patting between Contractors named above and Councillor Molyneux, the Council have turned a large part of Wigan Town Centre into a cleared demolition Site with no one board to re-develop it. When or if another Contractor / Developer steps in, they will do so on terms hugely beneficial to themselves at even greater expense to Wigan Council !
By Staggered
This project is at least 10m over budget
By Anonymous
How many wiganers are going to be employed on the project
By T.jones
Does anyone else get sick of hearing negative comments about Wigan town centre redevelopment? Conjecture without facts is all we hear. Stop whingeing.
By Anonymous
There should have been some kind of referendum to ascertain whether or not the tax payers of Wigan wanted their money spent on this development. Sounds like it has now become a huge problem to be able to get it finished. It needs to be be enough to encourage people back into the no man’s land of central Wigan. Will the shops ever return to make it worthwhile coming into town.
By Anonymous