Graham has taken over a \u00a344m former ISG project to turn a former retail outlet into a cultural hub.<\/p>\n
The City Centre Cultural Gateway project is set to see a seven-storey former Ikea store in Coventry retrofitted with gallery and collections space, as well as a cafe, library, dance studio, conference area and post-production filming facilities.<\/p>\n
ISG<\/a> was awarded the contract for the project in July 2024 and had started on site when it collapsed in September<\/a>, leaving dozens of projects half-built and creditors more than \u00a3300m out of pocket<\/a>.<\/p>\n Coventry City Council cabinet member for housing and communities Naeem Akhtar said: \u201cDespite 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.\u201d<\/p>\n Graham regional director Ronan Hughes said: \u201cThe City Centre Cultural Gateway is an exciting scheme that will transform a former retail space into a world-class hub for arts and culture while providing long-term benefits for the local community, economy and creative industries.<\/p>\n \u201cWe understand the importance of getting this project back on track and our priority is to deliver a new cultural destination that meets the needs of all partners and stakeholders.\u201d<\/p>\n The job was the last contract win announced by ISG before its collapse.<\/p>\n It was the only bidder for the Coventry project first time around, according to a Freedom of Information response seen by Construction News<\/em>, but it was paid less than 4 per cent of its fee before entering administration.<\/p>\n The scheme was originally due to be completed this year. Graham is now due to complete the work by the summer of 2026.<\/p>\n The council bought the former Ikea site in 2020 and said its new use would be as a \u201ccentral hub for culture and community in the heart of the city centre\u201d, adding that it will \u201cnot only enrich Coventry\u2019s cultural landscape but also stimulate economic growth\u201d.<\/p>\n Coventry University is set to take two floors of the revamped cultural hub building, with Arts Council England and the British Council also planning to move in.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Graham has taken over a \u00a344m former ISG project to turn a former retail outlet into a cultural hub. The City Centre Cultural Gateway project is set to see a seven-storey former Ikea store in Coventry retrofitted with gallery and collections space, as well as a cafe, library, dance studio, conference area and post-production filming …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43915,"featured_media":516390,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ep_exclude_from_search":false},"categories":[547,558,535],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n