By Andrew Brown Stand Up For Southport
The proposed start and completion dates have been revealed for the £73 million Marine Lake Events Centre in Southport.
The exciting new landmark – which is due to be built on the site of the former Southport Theatre and Convention Centre – is due to be ready in April 2027.
It will be accompanied by a new water and light show in Marine Lake, the first one of its kind anywhere in the UK. The scheme is being led by Sefton Council.
John Graham Construction is due to start construction work this April.
First to be done is the formation of a new access road to the hotel and Promenade, which will take nine weeks and four days, and the substructure, which will take 29 weeks.
This September will see the start of the permanent site set up (over five weeks) and work on the superstructure (44 weeks).
March and April 2026 will see work commence on the high level walkways and gantries (24 weeks); fabric and finishes (46 weeks); and specialist theatre installations (44 weeks).
The eyes of the world will be on Southport when the 154th Open Golf Championship is played at Royal Birkdale Golf Club 12th – 19th July 2026, with visitors flocking to the town from all over the globe.
Once the tournament has finished, August 2026 will see the start of completion activities on the Marine Lake Events Centre (29 weeks).
October 2026 will then see the start of the building handover process, with staff training and familiarisation (24 weeks).
Practical completion is then expected to be in April 2027.
Once complete the ambitious new project is forecast to attract 515,000 additional visitors to Southport every year and pump in £18 million for the local economy as well as creating 300 new jobs.
The Marine Lake Events Centre will be accompanied by a spectacular new ‘Light Fantastic’ animation on the Marine Lake.
The £75 million initiative is the central project of Southport Town Deal.
It will be paid for through £33.3million Town Deal funding; £20 million from the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority; and £19.9 million in prudential borrowing by Sefton Council.
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