The contracts for the construction of Ireland's first forest resort, Center Parcs Longford has been awarded to John Sisk & Son. As construction on the €233 million resort ramps up in County Longford the Dublin-based construction firm has been awarded two contracts.
The first contract is for the construction of 470 lodges and 30 apartments; the other is for the construction of the main Center building housing the subtropical swimming, restaurants, bars and shops. It follows a competitive tender process that ended recently.
Roadbridge, the Limerick construction company, are already on site, building earthworks, roads, paths, utilities , drainage systems and the artificial lake.
Center Parcs is a network of European holiday villages founded in the Netherlands in 1968. There are five parks in the UK they receive 2.2 million visitors a year. Center Parcs customers are repeat visitors with 35 per cent of people coming back every year.
Sisk will begin work on construction cabins; work installation networks; health and safety areas; sanitation units and offices. The main construction will begin on January 8th, 2018 and up to 750 people will be employed in the development. Construction is expected to take 18 months with arrival of the first guests in the summer of 2019.
The forest resort will have capacity for up to 2,500 guests per day and employ up to 1,000 people in permanent jobs once operational. Accommodation will be self-catering in lodges and apartments. There will be five restaurants on site, a takeaway and a supermarket.
Center Parcs Longford will operate all year round, including Christmas and is a short-break holiday destination. Breaks will run from Friday to Monday and Monday to Friday, prices are yet to be determined .
On site there will be a lake and a tropical swimming area. It will also have activities like cyclingand paddle-boarding and facilities such as sports grounds, zip-lining and water sports. Up to 200 indoor and outdoor activities will be available.
Taoiseach Leo Varadker visited the site in September for a sod-turning ceremony and said. ""We live in a time of extraordinary change and undoubtedly there are challenges ahead, not least from Brexit, so it is essential we continue to focus on competitiveness and value for money as well ensuring the free movement of people between North and South and between Britain and Ireland continues unabated." Arouind 30 per cent of visitors to Center Parcs are expected to be from Northern Ireland.
Awarding the contracts to Sisk, Martin Dalby, CEO of Center Parcs, said: "The appointment of Sisk is another hugely important milestone for Center Parcs in Ireland and we are excited about working together and seeing our designs come to life.
“The next phase of the project will see an increase in the numbers of contractors on site, many of whom we expect to come from the local area. The positive economic impact of our project is significant and this announcement comes on the back of the news that, thanks to our presence, natural gas will be coming to County Longford,” he said.
Stephen Bowcott, CEO of John Sisk & Son, said: "Sisk is delighted to be awarded this significant contract with Center Parcs for the construction of the state-of-the-art facilities and accommodation at the new landmark tourism development in Longford.
“We are excited to be working in partnership with Center Parcs and look forward to delivering on this innovative and challenging project. We also look forward to the positive impact this will have on the region and to working with all the key stakeholders.”
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