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Red Dragon Centre

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Coordinates: 51°28′00″N 3°09′51″W / 51.4667°N 3.1641°W / 51.4667; -3.1641
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Red Dragon Centre
Entrance to the Red Dragon Centre (2007)
Alternative namesAtlantic Wharf Leisure Village
General information
TypeEntertainment, leisure complex
LocationAtlantic Wharf, Cardiff Bay
Coordinates51°28′00″N 3°09′51″W / 51.4667°N 3.1641°W / 51.4667; -3.1641
OpeningAugust 1997 (1997-08)
OwnerCardiff Council (2020)
Design and construction
Architecture firmHolder Mathias

The Red Dragon Centre is an indoor entertainment complex in southern Cardiff, the capital of Wales. It was originally known as the Atlantic Wharf Leisure Village when it opened in August 1997. The complex features restaurants, cafés, a Hollywood Bowl bowling alley with arcade amusements, an Odeon multiplex cinema, a casino and an on-site car park.

It is located in the Cardiff Bay area, opposite the Wales Millennium Centre. This is close to the A4232 and near Cardiff Bay railway station. It is directly served by Cardiff Bus routes 6 (Baycar) and 8 (via Grangetown, Central Station) to the city centre.

History

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The Red Dragon Centre (rear)

The centre opened in 1997 as the Atlantic Wharf Leisure Village. The centre was renamed in 2000 as Red Dragon Centre (named after the commercial radio station for Cardiff and Newport, Red Dragon FM) Red Dragon FM has since been rebranded as Capital South Wales. The station is based in the centre, alongside Heart South Wales.

The multiplex cinema was originally managed by United Cinemas International (UCI). However, in 2004 Odeon and UCI were bought by private equity firm, Terra Firma, and the two companies were merged under the Odeon name.[1]

In 2020, the British Airways Pension Fund sold the Red Dragon Centre to Cardiff Council for a reported £60m.[2]

Future plans

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In November 2018, it was reported that a 15,000-seat indoor arena would be built on the site.[3] The Atlantic Wharf site was chosen over six other sites, including Callaghan Square near Cardiff Central railway station, the 5,000-seat Cardiff International Arena, with an arena suggested as part of a £150m redevelopment of Cardiff Arms Park.[4]

The current Red Dragon Centre could be demolished and replaced by a new leisure complex, or receive a partial redevelopment on the existing site. If demolished, tenants would migrate over to the new property while the remaining parts of the project are built. A planning application was expected to be submitted in July 2019.[3] On 17 December 2019, it was announced that Cardiff Council's cabinet had been granted permission for the local authority to purchase the Red Dragon Centre from the British Airways Pension Fund (BAPF) for an undisclosed sum. An element of the purchase price will only be payable to the pension fund when a planning application is submitted for the new Arena project on any part of the Atlantic Wharf site (the combined County Hall and Red Dragon Centre site) within a 10 year period.[5]

The council aimed to appoint a development partner and operator for the new arena by April 2020 and for a detailed planning application to be submitted by the selected developer before September 2020.[6] Construction work was projected to begin in May 2021 so the arena could open in June 2023.[7] The new arena was expected to be based on the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam.[2]

Live Nation UK, the operator of the city's Motorpoint Arena, has approached the council with a view to operating the new venue if it is built.[8] On 27 November 2020, Live Nation and builders Robertson Group were announced as the winning bidders to operate and construct the venue. Entertainment investors Oak View Group are also part of the consortium.[9] In October 2023, it was revealed that the arena's exterior design had been revised and the seating capacity reduced from 17,000 (initially approved by the council in March 2022[10]) to 15,358, with the opening date pushed back until 2026.[11][12] The following month it was reported that enabling works were now expected to begin in January 2024, in preparation for construction work to start in June that year.[13]

Further plans, that could form part of a £500m regeneration scheme, include waterfront apartments, bars and restaurants, a cinema complex and a hotel.[7] Alongside the arena is a proposed new stand-alone 550-seater "immersive" arts theatre and facilities for production, rehearsal and training. The new theatre, that forms the third phase of the developments of the Wales Millennium Centre, will be opposite the existing main building of the WMC (phase 1 and 2) and located in the car park of the Atlantic Wharf and part of the parking area of Cardiff Council’s County Hall.[14][15]

Centre tenants

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Interior in August 2018

Current tenants include:

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Walesonline.co.uk (article from Western Mail) Terra Firma ‘in talks to sell Odeon and UCI Cinemas for £1.2bn’ April 13, 2011 (viewed 2011-10-07)
  2. ^ a b Barry, Sion (January 28, 2020). "The bold £500m development for Cardiff Bay with an indoor arena at its heart". birminghampost.
  3. ^ a b "15,000 indoor arena set for Cardiff Bay". BBC. 11 November 2018. Retrieved 15 January 2019.
  4. ^ "£110m Cardiff arena site revealed". 9 February 2018. Retrieved 9 April 2019 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  5. ^ Hanratty, Neil (19 December 2019). "Cardiff Council Cabinet Report: Indoor Arena Update". www.cardiff.gov.uk. Retrieved 17 April 2020.
  6. ^ "Cardiff arena plans given green light". www.musicweek.com. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  7. ^ a b Howard, Bronte (December 13, 2019). "Massive indoor arena in Cardiff Bay planned for 2023". walesonline. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  8. ^ Ltd, Insider Media. "Cabinet to authorise negotiations on land purchase for arena". Insider Media Ltd. Retrieved 9 April 2019.
  9. ^ "Cardiff Indoor Arena: Thousands of jobs could be created by construction". November 27, 2020 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  10. ^ Gregory, Rhys (16 March 2022). "Green light for multi-million-pound Cardiff Arena plans". Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  11. ^ Ridley, Rob (20 October 2023). "Cardiff arena plans revised, Stoke project axed". The Stadium Business. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  12. ^ Peskett, Ted (19 October 2023). "New design agreed for major new Cardiff Bay arena". Wales Online. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  13. ^ "Cardiff's new Indoor Arena moves into the development phase". www.cardiffnewsroom.co.uk. 21 November 2023. Retrieved 21 November 2023.
  14. ^ "New 550-capacity theatre planned for capital". BBC. 6 November 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
  15. ^ "The new theatre Wales Millennium Centre wants to build in Cardiff Bay". Wales Online. 5 November 2024. Retrieved 7 November 2024.
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Media related to Red Dragon Centre at Wikimedia Commons

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