03/28/2024

Wales News Online

Local & National News for Wales

THE company behind proposals to build a zip wire, gondolas and luge runs on Swansea’s Kilvey Hill is waiting to hear back from the Welsh Government before making a board level decision, a council officer said.

Huw Mowbray, Swansea’s development and physical regeneration manager, told a council scrutiny panel that Skyline Enterprises has submitted a revised business case to officials in Cardiff Bay.

A “funding offer”, said Mr Mowbray, would be the key factor for the New Zealand-based company.

He said Skyline has engaged architects for the Kilvey Hill proposal and that there was “a lot happening behind the scenes”.

Mr Mowbray was updating the panel of councillors on major development projects in Swansea.

He said the £135 million Copr Bay scheme, featuring the new indoor arena, was experiencing a “very serious” labour and materials’ issue, plus a recent Covid outbreak.

But he said the arena was still on track to open for its first ticketed event, as planned, and that operator Ambassador Theatre Group was very happy with the sales of tickets.

Comedy fans have booked their seats for Rob Brydon and Katherine Ryan, who are performing in May next year, while rock fans have Alice Cooper and The Cult to look forward to later that month.

Mr Mowbray said the arena would open in March.

But he said a proposed hotel alongside the arena was subject to “funding difficulties”, and that the council had asked the company involved in the project, Cairn Hotel Group, to come up with a revised proposal.

Mr Mowbray also said there was interest among leisure operators in the 17-acre Civic Centre site, but not in the actual seafront building itself.

He kept his cards close to his chest, but said the leisure interest “would be a very positive addition to Swansea if we get some traction with that”.

In the shorter term, he said work was due to start at the end of this month on a new high-tech office building at the former Oceana site on The Kingsway.

Meanwhile, the cost of the £12 million revamp of The Kingsway layout has gone over budget, he said, following the demise of the initial contractor.

Moving on to other projects, Mr Mowbray said the new-look Wind Street was due for completion this month, although services which weren’t on any charts had been discovered under the entrance to the street where new security bollards will be installed.

He said preparatory work was under way to get the former BHS building, Oxford Street, ready for contractors to work on. The building will house the main library and if all goes to plan, the West Glamorgan Archive Service, plus other services.

Enabling works are also under way the Palace Theatre, High Street, ahead of a multi-million restoration of the landmark venue.

And on nearby Mariner Street, practical completion of a huge student accommodation development is scheduled for this month.

Students are already living there, said Mr Mowbray, and one of the building’s commercial ground floor units could be filled as early as December.

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