Construction Managers Selected
Two of the UK’s leading construction firms have been selected to act as the construction managers for the Greenwich Millennium Exhibition.
A joint venture between Sir Robert McAlpine and the Laing Group of companies were awarded the multi-million pond construction management contract for the Exhibition, beating off stiff competition from Mace/Schal in final deliberations.
Laing and McAlpine have a proven track record in major construction projects, including the Canary Wharf Tower and the Jubilee Line extension at North Greenwich. They are also responsible for the second Severn Bridge crossing, Sizewell ‘B’ nuclear power station, the Sainsbury Wing of the National Gallery and several major car manufacturing plants.
The New Millennium Experience Company’s Chief Executive Jennifer Page said: “Laing and McAlpine’s have a wealth of experience managing some of the largest and most innovative construction projects in the UK.”
“They are both used to working on projects like the Millennium Exhibition with immovable time constraints and fixed budgets.”
At the time, she added: “We have agreed in principle a contract which has value for money and incentives built-in and we shall conclude the details in the next few days.”
Construction work started on piling for the Millennium Dome, centrepiece for the celebrations of the Millennium Experience site, on schedule on June 23rd 1997.
More than 7000 jobs have been created on and off-site during the construction phase of the project. The Greenwich and Woolwich area, it is hoped, will benefit from 1000-1500 of this total. Greenwich Council signed a detailed agreement with Millennium Central and English Partnerships on June 20th 1997 for handling the impact of the development. Under the agreement, an office will be set up for a local labour scheme, Greenwich Local Labour In Construction (GLLiC), to provide the main contractors with details of potential workers. Anyone wishing to register with the GLLiC with a view to obtaining work should call 0181 316 5731.
Contracts for steel and steel cable for the Millennium Dome structure were placed at the end of February 1997.
Sources:
Meridian Line, March 1997, with additions.
NewShopper, 25/6/97, with additions.
David Riddle
e-mail: dpreeyore@gmail.com
Eeyore's Place 