Rescue for £60m regeneration of old Ikea store
BBCPlans to repurpose the former Ikea building in Coventry are back on track after the contractor went into administration.
The city centre building is set to undergo a £60.1m transformation into a City Centre Cultural Gateway which will provide storage for nationally important artworks.
Work was under way but stopped in September when contractors ISG collapsed just two months after being appointed by the council.
Construction firm Graham, which has offices across the UK and Ireland, has now been appointed to take on the project and Coventry City Council, which is funding the scheme, insists the setback w ill not cost taxpayers any more money.
Conservative opposition councillors had previously labelled the scheme a "flatpack fantasy" and suggested it was a "financial black hole".
Announcing the news on Thursday, councillor Naeem Ahktar, Labour cabinet member for communities in Coventry, said: "Despite unforeseen and challenging circumstances, Coventry City Council has moved swiftly to secure a new contractor to get the project back on track and within the approved budget, meaning no additional money is needed for the construction."
Responding to the news, Conservative opposition leader, Councillor Gary Ridley, said: "The council says this won't cost extra, but we've had big promises before, only to see costs spiral and taxpayers left picking up the bill.
"So, they need to come clean about the total cost of this project and explain how Graham was chosen."
Mr Ridley questioned if it was "a rushed decision just to get the project back on track".
He added: "We need cast iron guarantees there won't be higher costs down the line, and assurances that this Ikea renovation will truly benefit local people.
"Otherwise, it's just an expensive flatpack fantasy dreamed up by elites in their ivory tower."
Work is expected to recommence before the summer. The council has previously stated that the project would eventually pay for itself. The cost has not been publicly disclosed, but the BBC has seen private council reports that predicted capital expenditure for the project would reach £60.1m.
The seven floor building opened in 2007 and closed in February 2020. It has the equivalent of 7.5 football pitches of floor space.
Partners in the project include Arts Council England, the British Council and Coventry University, which will occupy two floors at the site.
It has also been announced that CVLife, which operates venues such as The Herbert Art Gallery and the Transport Museum, will store some of its items at the site.
The transformation of the former furniture shop into a cultural venue is set to be a concrete legacy of the city's year as 2021 UK City of Culture.
It follows a series of setbacks after the year of celebrations was disrupted by the Covid pandemic and the charity tasked with overseeing the celebrations and legacy projects went bust in 2023.
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