Scottish Hydro Arena | SECC | 12,500 seats | £112m | U/C

[david_gla]

http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/h...arena.21105165

SCOTLAND'S major new music venue under construction on the River Clyde is up to two months behind schedule and faces the prospect of headline concerts by some of the world's top rock and pop acts being cancelled.



The Hydro, which sits alongside the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) in Glasgow, is also running millions of pounds over budget amid legal wranglings between the contractor and the client, the SECC.

Main contractor Lend Lease is holding out for around £98 million while the SECC is sticking to a fee of around £90m in a disagreement over the final bill.

The delay is casting serious doubt as to whether shows by Fleetwood Mac, Depeche Mode, Peter Gabriel, the Proclaimers, Jessie J and Andrea Bocelli are to go ahead.

Productions of Jesus Christ Superstar and Peter Pan, concerts by Bruno Mars, Simple Minds, Nickelback and stand-up comic Micky Flanagan are also in jeopardy.

Crucially, it is also having an impact on an "impending announcement" from an unspecified artist, understood to be Rod Stewart, about appearing at the Hydro in September.

The veteran rocker announced additional UK tour dates yesterday, ending in late September. Glasgow is understood to be the unconfirmed tour finale.

The SECC board is already considering the millions of pounds it could have to pay out in compensation to promoters and members of the public who have bought tickets if, as feared, the Hydro cannot open until late November rather than the end of September.

The delays stem from a dispute between the SECC and main contractor Lend Lease over design specifications, particularly around the roof.

SECC chief executive John Sharkey has been locked in talks for most of this week with Lend Lease attempting to find a breakthrough and has told fellow board members that while there are efforts to pull out all the stops for a September 30 opening the alternative of the end of November is still realistic.

Mr Sharkey now wants to pay Lend Lease an incentive of around £3m to complete the work by September.

It is the latest instalment in a troubled birth for the marquee project, which is designed to free up the SECC for more exhibitions and encourage more major music acts to play Glasgow.

Glasgow City Council has already had to bail out the scheme by more than £40m after a private-sector partner pulled out, sparking an ongoing schism between the SECC and the authority, which owns more than 90% of the business.

It is unlikely that the payment crisis will have any impact on the venue's hosting of several Commonwealth Games events next summer.

In correspondence with other board members, Mr Sharkey has discussed his hopes of a September opening but adds: "It does however require a ramp up in activity in the period to September and that will be the challenge on site especially over the holiday period.

"They are forecasting a labour demand higher than that required to deal with these risks.

"That's the good news. The downside is that we can't get to agreement on a final account settlement. They [Lend Lease] feel that their entitlement is stronger than the entitlement that the client team believe is due to them."

On incentivising a completion with a £3m bonus, Mr Sharkey says: "The benefit is brand protection and avoiding contractual and additional non-contractual payments (should we wish to maintain relationships) to cover cancelled events should the opening be delayed. The amounts will be self-financing given the saving on compensation for cancelled/rescheduled events on a contractual or extra-contractual basis."

An SECC spokeswoman said: "Lend Lease Group, who are responsible for construction of the arena, have indicated that they are currently scheduled to complete the construction of the project, and allow occupancy by SECC, in September.

"Consequently, we are working towards a high-profile opening season for the Hydro."

[david_gla]

http://www.heraldscotland.com/commen...hydro.21115636

Saturday 18 May 2013

SOMETIMES it looks as if no major public project in Scotland ever finishes on time or within budget.

Arguments rumble on about quite how the cost of the Scottish Parliament building at Holyrood spiralled out of control. The Edinburgh trams project seems to have turned into a never-ending saga.

By comparison a delay of a couple of months in completing the massive Hydro on the banks of the Clyde may look like a minor hitch. However, with thousands of tickets already sold for major acts booked to perform there in October and November this year, any delay is likely to have serious consequences.

As The Herald reports today, the project is running several millions over budget and has been hit by legal wrangling between the main contractor Lend Lease and the client, the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC). The delay appears to have been caused by problems with the design specification, particularly the domed roof, which has a span of 120 metres. Lend Lease is now talking of a possible delay until the end of November.

That would cost SECC millions in contractual payments and refunds to those who have already bought tickets for acts including Fleetwood Mac the musical Jesus Christ Superstar.

SECC chief executive John Sharkey hopes that by offering Lend Lease £3m "escalation costs", work on the huge structure can be accelerated so that the building is completed for the planned opening on September 30. The company had been hoping to announce in the near future that Rod Stewart would front the opening concert.

If Lend Lease was encountering technical problems serious enough to delay completion, did it come clean about this before many thousands of tickets had been sold for acts this autumn?

Meanwhile, why should SECC be offering what amounts to a £3m bonus to Lend Lease for simply finishing the project on the original completion date? After all, Mr Sharkey and his board have been paid handsome salaries and large bonuses over the years to ensure the smooth running of the SECC and associated venues.

A recent review by Deloitte found Mr Sharkey earned £85,000 in bonuses on top of his basic salary of £190,000 in 2011. Glasgow City Council, which owns 90% of SECC and which was forced to bail out the Hydro to the tune of £40m after a private partner pulled out of the venture, has demanded that the top-tier salaries are pegged back. That move might seem overdue.

The SECC seems to be painted into a corner. If its offer to pay an additional £3m is declined, it might lose even more in refunds and reputational damage.

Glasgow needs this venue, which will host the netball and gymnastics events during the 2014 Commonwealth Games. At present Scotland's largest indoor events space, Hall 4 at the SECC, is also used for exhibitions and 70 days a year are lost in reconfiguring the required seating. The Hydro's futuristic design by Foster and Partners has generated great excitement. What a pity this big baby is having such a difficult birth.

[Jord]

Heard on the radio there that apparently they've come to an agreement?

[kramer81]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-22580079

The operators of Scotland's new 12,000-seat entertainment arena have said the venue will open on time despite reports that it was months behind schedule.

The Hydro will be part of the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) complex in Glasgow.

Newspaper reports said pop concerts could be cancelled over legal wrangles with the contractor Lend Lease.

A spokesman for SECC said there was "no legal dispute" that would prevent the scheduled opening in September.

It added: "We will be announcing a very high-profile opening act for Scotland's new home of live entertainment very shortly".

The first concert currently advertised for the new arena is opera singer Andrea Bocelli on 15 September.

Two large stage shows - Peter Pan and Jesus Christ Superstar - and music legends Fleetwood Mac are also planned for the first month.

Pop stars Jessie J and Peter Gabriel are lined up to play the arena, which is sited next to the SECC on the north bank of the river Clyde, in October.

The Herald newspaper said there was a dispute between the SECC and primary contractor Lend Lease over payments.

A SECC spokesman said the claims were "out of date".

[Charlie_]

Walked through finneston yesterday and it looks absolutely spectacular in the sun from Minerva street. Really cool.

[david_gla]

http://local.stv.tv/glasgow/225866-s...hind-schedule/

A new concert arena being built in Glasgow will be ready to open on time, venue bosses have insisted.

The Hydro is billed to open to the public in September, joining the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) on the River Clyde, and will host music concerts as well as sports events and other shows.

However, a report in Saturday’s Herald claimed the project was "up to two months behind schedule", adding that advertised concerts by acts such as Depeche Mode, The Proclaimers and Bruno Mars could be cancelled as a result.

The delay, the newspaper alleged, was the result of a dispute between the SECC and primary contractor Lend Lease. The construction company was reported to want £98m for its services against the £90m insisted on by the Glasgow events hub.

The claims have drawn a rejection from the SECC, with a spokesman telling STV News the allegations were "out of date". He added that bosses were "confident the venue will open as planned in September".

The article quotes from correspondence purportedly from SECC chief executive John Sharkey warning fellow board members that a payment dispute would "require a ramp up in activity" for the Hydro to open in September.

He adds that "we can’t get to agreement on a final account settlement. They [Lend Lease] feel that their entitlement is stronger than the entitlement that the client team believe is due to them".

The SECC spokesman accepted that there were discussions between the centre and the contractors but said these were not out of the ordinary.

He explained: "There are still commercial discussions ongoing with Lend Lease, but these are the same as would be expected in any project. The final bill will be settled on completion of the project."

Another headline concert is expected to be announced next week, the spokesman added.

The artist is understood to be Rod Stewart, who told STV’s Gillian Harvey in an interview last year that he would be performing at the Hydro in 2013.

[ESPImperium]

Financial Problems & Snags aside. ETFE seems to be going on the lower side of the bowl. If we get 2 weeks of benign weather in Glasgow they will make leaps and bounds in that construction phase.

[M_Riaz]

ET

Monday 20 May 2013

Rod's ready for Hydro opener

ADOPTED Scot and pop superstar Rod Stewart is to open Glasgow's Hydro.

Rocker Rod Stewart to open Glasgow's Hydro
The 68-year-old singer will perform under the spectacular silver dome of the £125million venue on September 30 as part of his Time Tour.
Gig tickets – £60-£70 – go on sale this Friday.
The SECC has said the venue will open on time, despite reports that it is months behind schedule.
Rod said: "I have been looking forward to this - I've watched The Hydro take shape.
"I cannot wait to get back to Scotland and perform for a live audience at this spectacular venue."
The singer is celebrating his first No1 album since 1979. Time, is the veteran crooner's seventh album to hit top spot in the UK.
For tickets visit www.thehydro.com or call 0844 395 4000 with pre-sale briefs available from 9am

[Jord]

So I guess Rod is "officially" opening The Hydro since there are already 2 shows to take place before he does?

[mrsting]

Andrea Bocelli, 15 Sep 2013

Peter Pan, The Never Ending Story, World Arena Tour, 27 Sep 2013 - 29 Sep 2013

I was at secc on sat, its got a long way to go,

[drjimmy]

Originally Posted by M_Riaz

ET

Monday 20 May 2013

Rod's ready for Hydro opener

ADOPTED Scot and pop superstar Rod Stewart is to open Glasgow's Hydro.

Rocker Rod Stewart to open Glasgow's Hydro
The 68-year-old singer will perform under the spectacular silver dome of the £125million venue on September 30 as part of his Time Tour.
Gig tickets – £60-£70 – go on sale this Friday.
The SECC has said the venue will open on time, despite reports that it is months behind schedule.
Rod said: "I have been looking forward to this - I've watched The Hydro take shape.
"I cannot wait to get back to Scotland and perform for a live audience at this spectacular venue."
The singer is celebrating his first No1 album since 1979. Time, is the veteran crooner's seventh album to hit top spot in the UK.
For tickets visit www.thehydro.com or call 0844 395 4000 with pre-sale briefs available from 9am

I do believe I might just have got that right http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showth...964840&page=31

[Pious Fraud]

The Hydro: Opening of £125m Glasgow venue rescheduled

BBC News 22nd May 2013

The operator of an under-construction £125m music venue in Glasgow has pushed back its opening - days after denying reports it was behind schedule.

The 12,000 seat arena, known as The Hydro, had been due to host opera singer Andrea Bocelli on 15 September. He will now perform in November.

Performances of Peter Pan in September have been moved to the SECC - Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre.

This means Rod Stewart will officially open The Hydro on 30 September.

A statement from the SECC, which will run The Hydro, said: "The original timescale for our opening programme has now changed and as a consequence Andrea Bocelli's performance, scheduled to take place at The Hydro on 15 September 2013, has been rescheduled to Saturday 23 November 2013.

"Peter Pan - The Never Ending Story, scheduled to take place on 27-29 September in The Hydro, has been moved to Hall 4 in the SECC. All tickets will remain valid and will be available in due course.

"We are truly grateful to the artists, management, cast and producers for their co-operation in this matter, and in particular for accommodating the exciting opening programme planned for The Hydro."

BBC