Everton select Laing O’Rourke to deliver new stadium

Wednesday, 19 February, 2020 33comments  |  Jump to most recent

Everton have appointed Laing O'Rourke as ‘preferred contractor' for the proposed stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock.

According to a club press release, a pre-construction services agreement (PCSA) for a design and build contract is due to be signed after a competitive procurement process. Both parties will now work in partnership to develop a detailed and robust design and delivery programme.

Laing O'Rourke boast Heathrow's Terminal 5 and developments for the 2012 Olympics in London, including the athletics stadium that has since been repurposed as West Ham United's home ground, among their projects and the partnership with the Blues "will fully utilise digital engineering expertise and industry-leading knowledge of modern methods of construction to bring Everton's stadium vision to life.”

Everton revealed the final stadium designs in December and submitted a detailed planning application to Liverpool City Council whose final determination is expected by the summer of this year.

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Work on the new ground is expected to start later in 2020, subject to planning consent, and is expected to take three years. A final construction timeline will be shared during the PCSA period.

Everton Chief Executive Professor Denise Barrett-Baxendale said: “Appointing Laing O'Rourke is another important step towards delivering a new world-class waterfront stadium for Everton.

“We are partnering with an organisation who bring a wealth of experience and a track-record of quality, sustainability and global delivery, including major investment projects right here in Liverpool.

“There is still a lot of work to do on this project. Working alongside colleagues at Laing O'Rourke we will develop our construction programme, while at the same time continuing to engage with our supporters on a number of matters as we await our planning application to be determined by Liverpool City Council.”

Laing O'Rourke Director, Paul McNerney said: “We are delighted that Everton has chosen our team to work alongside the Club and local community to deliver The People's Project. We recognise the transformative impact the project will bring to the Club, to the city and to the many people who will be part of this exciting journey.

“Laing O'Rourke has a long track record of delivering sport stadia, utilising our unique engineering and manufacturing capabilities, all of which will now underpin this scheme.

“Our local team, supply chain and consultant partners have worked with us across many major schemes in Liverpool including Liverpool ONE, Alder Hey Children's Hospital and Clatterbridge Cancer Centre. The People's Project will allow us to advance our commitment to training, skills and careers in the area — and to support Everton in the Community in their wonderful life-changing and life-saving work.”

 

Reader Comments (33)

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Brent Stephens
1 Posted 19/02/2020 at 19:05:23
One more step in a long march. Keep marching.
Jay Wood
[BRZ]

2 Posted 19/02/2020 at 19:27:12
An appropriately solid Irish name to build the new stadium in the city of Liverpool with its strong ties to the Emerald Isles and other Celtic nations!
Steve Ferns
3 Posted 19/02/2020 at 19:28:57
A common name across major projects in the city. A solid move.
John P McFarlane
4 Posted 19/02/2020 at 19:46:21
I mis-read the contractors name and immediately remembered this:

DBB v Contractor

Don Alexander
5 Posted 19/02/2020 at 19:53:00
Brilliant John!
Eugene Kearney
6 Posted 19/02/2020 at 19:56:23
Yipee...it's going to happen and with Carlo Ancelotti re-building the team, we can finally expect a lot of progress to Everton Football Club.
Karl Masters
11 Posted 19/02/2020 at 21:23:15
Solid, concrete evidence that this is going to happen!
Karl Masters
12 Posted 19/02/2020 at 21:23:16
I'm sure that Tony Marsh or the other doom monger, Jonathan Tasker, will soon be in to throw a bucket of ice-cold water over you, Eugene!

I understand the reluctance to believe it's going to finally happen 20 years after Kings Dock, but this must be the most elaborate and expensive charade ever if it's just not going to happen!

Paul Birmingham
13 Posted 19/02/2020 at 21:35:43
A great tonic and boost for EFC, and the strive to progress.

I'm touching wood, but this period is the best I've felt as an Evertonian, in decades.

Long may it last and now to take out Arsenal and win, it's a six-pointer, hopefully, the team will learn from last seasons match, when we should have been out of sight, 3 or 4 nil, up by half time.

In Carlo we trust.

Joe McMahon
14 Posted 19/02/2020 at 21:47:04
Great news!
Christy Ring
15 Posted 19/02/2020 at 21:49:24
As Jay said, a solid Irish name, very appropriate. You go back in history to the '50s & '60s, Everton were the No 1 Irish club. I think there was 5 or 6 Irish internationals playing for Everton at the time.
Sean Callaghan
16 Posted 19/02/2020 at 21:54:31
Steady on, Paul. I agree it's good news, but best leave your wood alone, or at least keep it quiet.
Brian Wilkinson
17 Posted 19/02/2020 at 22:08:00
Baring planning being turned down, which I cannot see happening, then it looks all systems go.

When you see all the planning they have at Goodison Park, with apartments etc, not even the most sceptical can honestly believe it will not happen.

Bob Parrington
18 Posted 19/02/2020 at 22:13:14
Positive news. Good to see that things have been moved along in the background and now coming to the fore.
Colin Glassar
19 Posted 19/02/2020 at 22:50:14
Whatever happened to Wimpy or Fairclough and Sons? Proper construction companies them.
Eric Myles
20 Posted 19/02/2020 at 00:00:40
Carl #13, I don't have an ice-cold bucket, just a mug of tap water and the following comments.

The PCSA is not a contract to build the stadium, it's an agreement that Laing O'Rourke will get paid for whatever work they do up until a point when a formal contract is executed, or not. It means there's nothing concrete yet. This may be conditional on planning permission, or maybe securing funding?

The statements make it sound that the planning permission process is under way, but we know from another article that it's not since the application has not been registered.

So, another positive step forward, but no breaking ground ceremonies yet. We're not as far down the road as our neighbours were with their Stanley Park stadium, and look what happened to that.

Ian Pilkington
21 Posted 19/02/2020 at 00:23:17
Stadium development director Colin Chong joined EFC from Laing O'Rourke, where he was a project leader, so this is an unsurprising choice of main contractor.

Owner Ray O'Rourke is certainly Irish, but the company is British and operates multinationally. Founded as R O'Rourke and Son in London in the '70s, it grew from small beginnings to acquire the construction arm of John Laing plc for a symbolic £1 in 2001 and is now the largest British privately owned construction company.

Colin @20, sadly Wimpey only build houses now as Taylor Wimpey, whilst Fairclogh became known as Amec in the '80s and no longer operates.

Ian Pilkington
22 Posted 20/02/2020 at 00:32:44
Spelling correction to my post @22.

Should read Fairclough, no excuse for this as I worked for them for 28 years!

Kieran Kinsella
23 Posted 20/02/2020 at 03:06:50
John McFarlane

Didn't Fawlty's builder erect an unwanted wall across the doorway? A similar move could be brilliant as a way of safeguarding Pickford's goal. It would also put the old adage about “running through brick walls” for Klopp, Mourinho, whoever.

Mark Andersson
24 Posted 20/02/2020 at 03:09:18
As always some interesting views and insights..

What happened to Liverpool and the Stanley Park project...

Darren Hind
25 Posted 20/02/2020 at 05:31:38
John @4

Very funny link.

Thankfully our very own Basil Fawlty is no longer front of the house and this thing is going to happen.

Dan Nulty
26 Posted 20/02/2020 at 07:17:25
I'm starting to think that all this might actually happen in my lifetime...
Frank Key
27 Posted 20/02/2020 at 07:22:47
A PCSA will limit EFC's exposure to design costs only. They should be able to walk away should they get cold feet before a spade is put in the ground.

The question is will Meis work under the contractor to develop the design, or will EFC retain Meis to ensure the design intent is upheld by the contractor's designers? I hope it is the latter.

Colin Glassar
28 Posted 20/02/2020 at 07:41:05
Ian, thanks. As a kid, I used to see their lorries everywhere.

Now it looks like this is happening.

Tony Everan
29 Posted 20/02/2020 at 07:59:03
Interesting point Frank, whether or not Dan Meis is involved as a consultant going forward.

Another point is finance. Will all be revealed after planning is granted? The way all the other pieces on the chess board are slotting into place makes me think that we have the finance structure sorted too.

It will be amazing to see the JCBs rolling in later this year. At the moment it is still fantasy, an idea, a plan, but the physical reality is about to manifest itself. There's no recent trophies in the cabinet, no Champions League football, but, in spite of that, this is an extraordinary time to be an Evertonian.

Derek Knox
30 Posted 20/02/2020 at 08:07:32
Good and encouraging news, looking increasingly likely that the project will start soon, hope all goes smoothly and costs don't spiral as they often do. Hope the positivity gives the team a boost too till the end of the season.
Jerome Shields
31 Posted 20/02/2020 at 09:30:18
Looks like things are slowly, but surely moving forward. Progress on the pitch seems to be taking a similar form. It's looks like that this was the fall back plan from the start, when Moshiri bought into Everton with no competition, on Kenwrights terms, , with Usmanov in the background.

The aim was obtain a Premier League Club at value, with the prospect of major development. It also looks like Kenwright was a necessary figurehead to keep the governing bodies on side, though Moshiri and his backer got a lesson as regards making funds available. Funds will now only become available when a outcome is assured.

In my opinion there will be changes in the design plans , particularly in capacity , as the financial end hardens up, when Funds are made available in the context of realistic projects.

Johnny Rainford
32 Posted 20/02/2020 at 09:31:48
This is great this guys. Head ruling heart says let's leave the celebrations until we are truly past the point of no return and the diggers are on site, but I'm sure we all allow ourselves a cheeky one tonight in the knowledge that our club is finally waking up after decades of stagnation. Coyb.
Mike Benjamin
33 Posted 20/02/2020 at 10:09:35
The Echo refer to the capacity in the planning application of 52,888.
Rudi Coote
34 Posted 20/02/2020 at 10:16:12
Will Usmanov steel be used?
Daniel A Johnson
35 Posted 20/02/2020 at 11:48:06
I'm starting to believe
Jamie Crowley
36 Posted 20/02/2020 at 12:38:46
Jay @2 and Christy @16 -

The Yank Plastic Paddy says:

Oh hell yes!

Eric Myles
37 Posted 20/02/2020 at 23:33:03
Frank #27, it will only be Concept Design and some preliminary specification development at this stage, not a full-blown design package. Then they'll move on to Preliminary Design and then Final Design when the Contract is signed.

There should be a full Project Management Team on the Club's side to ensure that the design intent and Client Requirements are adhered to. Ideally the PMT would be from Dan Meis's firm if they do that sort of thing.


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