Buckingham Group’s preparatory works are underway at Fontwell Park racecourse.
The £6.5m project for Client Northern Racing, will create an architecturally prominent three-storey building with twelve private hospitality boxes, a glass fronted hospitality restaurant for 250 people and a multi-purpose hall on the ground floor with new catering and betting facilities. An external terrace area provides a mixture of seating/standing capacity for around 1,200 people.
Early enabling operations currently underway require the construction of a temporary race control tower and the careful relocation of a stone/timber domed folly. Buckingham’s in-house demolition team will then undertake asbestos removal and demolition of the former 1920’s grandstand building.
As well as offering state of the art facilities on race days, the Premier Grandstand has been designed for weddings, banqueting, conferences and exhibitions. Race meetings will continue to take place during the construction period. The new Grandstand is scheduled to open for the Ladies Evening race meeting in August 2010.
Paul Wheeler, Buckingham Group Chairman said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this prestigious project and look forward to working closely with our client to deliver an exceptional viewing and hospitality facility. This latest successful tender further enhances our portfolio of recently secured contracts in the South of England adding to projects such as the £67m Community Stadium at Brighton, the £16m East Kent Re-Signalling Contract for Network Rail, and a £12m Regional Distribution Centre, now approaching completion for the Food Services Company 3663 in Paddock Wood. We still have plenty of capacity, and remain committed to continued growth in all of our Sectors, including Sports and Leisure