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sweenyuk wrote:It's a new Hill for the players to run up...

No seriously it is just grounds work at the moment to make the land safe. Contamination from mines and asbestos means it can't be built on, so this is work the council are doing before it can be developed

King Kev wrote:Does anybody know??

Redevelopment work begins at Eastlands former casino siteWork has begun in earnest on preparating a 17-acre (6.88 hectares) plot, originally earmarked for Manchester’s abandoned supercasino, for future development at Eastlands next to the City of Manchester stadium.

The work, which includes capping disused mine shafts from the former Bradford colliery, is expected to take seven months.

The £8 million project is being coordinated by urban regeneration company, New East Manchester, and undertaken by remediation specialists Buckingham Group Contracting and follows extensive site investigations. It is being funded by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), Manchester City Council, the Northwest European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the NWDA.

The project builds on other investment by the four funding partners to support the continued development of Eastland’s sporting, leisure and economic infrastructure, including the new National Indoor BMX Centre and a network of new pedestrian and cycle links to the surrounding area, which are currently on site.

Eddie Smith, chief executive of New East Manchester said: “This is a crucial step towards bringing this strategically important piece of land back into use. When the right developer is found we want to be in a position to be ready to move quickly and deliver a scheme that will make Eastlands a leading international leisure and sporting destination. Not only do we want to create a scheme that will attract significant visitors to East Manchester and bring economic benefits to the whole North West region, but we also remain committed to creating employment opportunities for local people.”

Councillor Jim Battle, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council said: “This work is vital and will mean we can hit the ground running when the right scheme is found for the site. The investment will also speed up potential for bringing new jobs to the area, creating a lasting economic legacy for east Manchester residents.”

Eastlands was originally built to host the 2002 Commonwealth Games. Its facilities include the original stadium (now home to Manchester City FC), Manchester Regional Arena, National Squash Centre, Tennis Centre, English Institute of Sport, Manchester Velodrome and, most recently, the construction of the new National Indoor BMX Centre. More than 400 events are held at the complex annually, attracting 4.5m visitors and providing employment for local residents.

Ted Hughes wrote:There's a 957 page thread on Bluemoon about it, where lots of people, some connected, some loosely involved, from architects to on site workemen, have all put their heads together & after many months of painstaking detective work, have come to the conclusion that we're building something.

Ted Hughes wrote:There's a 957 page thread on Bluemoon about it, where lots of people, some connected, some loosely involved, from architects to on site workemen, have all put their heads together & after many months of painstaking detective work, have come to the conclusion that we're building something.