Contractor named for Barons Quay
Balfour Beatty Construction has been appointed as main contractor on the £80m retail and leisure scheme at Barons Quay in Northwich, Cheshire.
Balfour Beatty was selected by Cheshire West & Chester Council ahead of Vinci, Bowmer & Kirkland and Gilbert Ash.
The contract will see Balfour Beatty on site in September 2014, with enabling works to deliver 300,000 sq ft of retail and leisure units starting immediately.
Barons Quay currently has two anchor tenants, a 68,000 sq ft Asda superstore and a five-screen Odeon film multiplex.
The first phase, incorporating the Odeon cinema, restaurants, Asda supermarket, public realm, car parking, and shops beneath the car park and surrounding a new square on Leicester Street, is due to be completed by autumn 2016.
Phase two, a concurrent build of further shops and residential units, is scheduled for completion in 2017.
The development is being managed by the council, which is also the site's major landowner.
Cllr Stuart Parker, executive member for culture and economy at Cheshire West & Chester Council, said: "The selection of Balfour Beatty followed a rigorous selection procedure and I am very pleased to welcome them on board.
"The company has a strong track record in delivering projects of this nature.
"This is a key milestone in the delivery of a major development project that will create jobs, vibrancy and prosperity, and ultimately transform Northwich into one of the North West's busiest market towns."
The project team advising CWAC includes building consultant Rider Levett Bucknall, architect Broadway Malyan, agent Lambert Smith Hampton and Tushingham Moore, project manager Fraser Blair Associates and engineer Curtins Consulting.