Willmott Dixon has been appointed to replace Buckingham on the final stages of the £120m Swansea Central Phase One project.
Most of the scheme has already opened, including the new Swansea Arena, the Copr Bay south car park, the coastal park, the Green Room Bar and Kitchen and a residential building on the north side of Oystermouth Road.
However, Buckingham was still building a car park on the side of Oystermouth Road, as well as undertaking snagging works, when it entered administration last month owing creditors £108m.
Willmott Dixon is now set to hire a supply chain and take over the site imminently with a view to finishing snagging “as soon as possible”, Swansea Council said in a statement. Work on the car park is, meanwhile, set to finish in spring next year.
A Swansea Council spokesperson said: “The Copr Bay district is at the heart of Swansea’s ongoing regeneration of the city centre.
“When our contractors Buckingham recently went into administration, we had to act quickly to protect the council’s position and to complete the unfinished work.
“We’re delighted to appoint Willmott Dixon, one of the country’s leading specialists, to manage the construction and ensure the unfinished work is completed as soon as possible.
“The financial arrangements we have in place mean we don’t envisage these works leading to extra costs for the council or the taxpayer.”
Neal Stephens, managing director for Willmott Dixon Wales and West, said: “It is sad to see Buckingham Group and its supply-chain partners go through such a difficult period.
“We have extensive experience of working in the local area and are pleased to work with Swansea Council to bring this fantastic development to a fitting conclusion.”
Last month Swansea Council published cabinet papers that showed it had underspent on the construction of Swansea Central Phase One by £7.2m in its last financial year as negotiations continued around “rectifying any remaining project defects”.
