Costs on Willmott Dixon's revamp of the Bristol concert venue formerly known as Colston Hall have risen by "millions". It was revealed at a council meeting last week that, after early works on the latest phase of the transformation of the 19th century building into a modern music venue, the cost of the works is to increase by a sum that has yet to be revealed. The former Colston Hall was renamed Bristol Beacon in the wake of last summer's Black Lives Matters protests and the toppling of the statue of slave trader Edward Colston, after whom the venue was named. The local authority's executive director of regeneration, Stephen Peacock, said that the existing contract had to be varied after most of the building, apart from its "outer skin" and foyer, was demolished - revealing issues that had not been known. In 2019, a Construction News project report revealed challenges faced by the contractor included the venue's city centre location, the preservation of its listed elements and the installation of new roof trusses.The contract value at the time was £36.7m. CN understands that issues including the requirement to remove more of the roof than was originally envisaged, as well as the discovery of hidden wells and rooms, meant that a redesign of the structure was needed.
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