A multi-million-pound replacement for the Fife Institute in Glenrothes has moved a step closer with the appointment of the project’s main contractor.
Graham Construction, which has been working on the regeneration of Kirkcaldy High Street in recent months, is expected to start work on site imminently after Fife Council this week confirmed it had won the £21 million contract.
The new sports and leisure centre has been long awaited by locals and will be built on roughly the same site as the existing Fife Institute for Physical and Recreational Education (FIPRE) building, with the replacement due to be ready by April 2013.
Grant Ward, head of leisure and cultural services at Fife Council, said, “The company has a significant amount of experience in delivering this kind of project and they will be a key partner in helping to deliver a flagship sports and leisure centre for Glenrothes and beyond.”
Neil McFarlane, regional director at Graham Construction, said every effort would be made to minimise disruption during the work.
“The new sports and leisure facility will provide the people of Fife with an important and stunning civic amenity and will play a key role in the transformation of Glenrothes,” he added.
“Working closely with Fife Council and project architects B3 and Cre8, we are relishing the opportunity of being part of the team creating such an iconic building for Glenrothes, which will inspire generations of people from Fife to become involved in sport.
“We have significant experience of building leisure facilities and as this is our first major project in Fife, it is one we are very much looking forward to delivering. We are delighted to have been awarded this prestigious contract by Fife Council.”
The Glenrothes project formed part of the council’s commitment to invest over £50 million in new sports and leisure facilities, with similar schemes in Dunfermline and Kirkcaldy progressing.
Work on a new pool in Kirkcaldy is also expected to begin later this year and that building situated where the open-air Tolbooth Street car park currently is should also open in 2013.
The new facility will be managed by the Fife Sports and Leisure Trust on behalf of Fife Council.