LHF board to decide today on signing hockey arena construction contract with "Multihalle"
The Latvian Ice Hockey Federation^apostrofs;s (LHF) board will decide today whether it will sign a contract on construction of a multifunctional ice hockey arena in Riga with "Multihalle Ltd.". The board^apostrofs;s meeting will begin at 2 p.m., the federation^apostrofs;s press secretary Laila Millere told LETA previously.
The Latvian Ice Hockey Federation's (LHF) board will decide today whether it will sign a contract on construction of a multifunctional ice hockey arena in Riga with "Multihalle Ltd.". The board's meeting will begin at 2 p.m., the federation's press secretary Laila Millere told LETA previously.
The draft contract presented by "Multihalle" differed substantially from the one reviewed earlier, which is why LHF President Kirovs Lipmans could not sign the contract yesterday, November 12, Millere explained. It was decided that the LHF board would adopt the decision whether such a contract will be signed.
Whereas Vilnis Baltins, executive director at "Multihalle", told LETA after consultations with LHF yesterday that an agreement had been reached and the contract would be signed today. The contract's wording would be revised by then. The draft contract had also been backed by "Multihalle" shareholders.
Both sides' goals have not changed since work on the contract was launched - the ice hockey arena must be opened by August 1, 2005, Baltins stressed.
"Multihalle" shareholders decided on November 11 not to sign the previous version of the contract, already signed by Lipmans. The company prepared a contract on its own, and submitted it to LHF. Consultations on the contract's conditions have been under way since then.
"Metala buvju sistemas Ltd." (MBS) manager Janis Brinkmanis previously told LETA that another contract between investors representing MBS and "Multihalle" could be signed in the near future.
According to the MBS manager, "Multihalle" will be responsible for technical cooperation with Riga City Council and LHF, but MBS representatives - for financial investments. "Multihalle" would construct the arena, while MBS - other buildings of the complex.
The project of "Multihalle" and the Finnish company "JHC Arena Holding Oy Ltd." initially stipulated construction of an arena with 12,000 seats. The costs were estimated at EUR 30-35 million.
Brinkmanis pointed out that approximate investment in the project would be USD 250-300 million. MBS is represented by the Swiss and British investors' group.
As reported, the contract between LHF and the companies was to be signed initially by October 1 so that construction of the arena begins on time, and the complex's cornerstone can be laid no later than May 1, 2003.
If construction of the arena is not actually launched in Riga by September of 2003, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) will officially decide on holding the 2006 championship in another country, most believably in Russia, IIHF President Rene Fasel said in an interview in the newspaper "Dienas Bizness".
As Fasel told the paper, Lipmans must persuade IIHF during his pending visit early next week that problems with construction of the arena would be solved so that construction could be launched in the summer of 2003.
If there is ambiguity about the course of construction of the arena in the near future, the championship could possibly not be held in Riga in 2006. Russia was already mentioned as an alternative for hosting the championship.
Whereas Lipmans said in an interview on Latvian State Television before this that the hockey championship "will be held in Latvia in any case", regardless whether a "contract with "Multihalle" is signed or not".
Janis Silakalns LETA
Copyright © LETA
The draft contract presented by "Multihalle" differed substantially from the one reviewed earlier, which is why LHF President Kirovs Lipmans could not sign the contract yesterday, November 12, Millere explained. It was decided that the LHF board would adopt the decision whether such a contract will be signed.
Whereas Vilnis Baltins, executive director at "Multihalle", told LETA after consultations with LHF yesterday that an agreement had been reached and the contract would be signed today. The contract's wording would be revised by then. The draft contract had also been backed by "Multihalle" shareholders.
Both sides' goals have not changed since work on the contract was launched - the ice hockey arena must be opened by August 1, 2005, Baltins stressed.
"Multihalle" shareholders decided on November 11 not to sign the previous version of the contract, already signed by Lipmans. The company prepared a contract on its own, and submitted it to LHF. Consultations on the contract's conditions have been under way since then.
"Metala buvju sistemas Ltd." (MBS) manager Janis Brinkmanis previously told LETA that another contract between investors representing MBS and "Multihalle" could be signed in the near future.
According to the MBS manager, "Multihalle" will be responsible for technical cooperation with Riga City Council and LHF, but MBS representatives - for financial investments. "Multihalle" would construct the arena, while MBS - other buildings of the complex.
The project of "Multihalle" and the Finnish company "JHC Arena Holding Oy Ltd." initially stipulated construction of an arena with 12,000 seats. The costs were estimated at EUR 30-35 million.
Brinkmanis pointed out that approximate investment in the project would be USD 250-300 million. MBS is represented by the Swiss and British investors' group.
As reported, the contract between LHF and the companies was to be signed initially by October 1 so that construction of the arena begins on time, and the complex's cornerstone can be laid no later than May 1, 2003.
If construction of the arena is not actually launched in Riga by September of 2003, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) will officially decide on holding the 2006 championship in another country, most believably in Russia, IIHF President Rene Fasel said in an interview in the newspaper "Dienas Bizness".
As Fasel told the paper, Lipmans must persuade IIHF during his pending visit early next week that problems with construction of the arena would be solved so that construction could be launched in the summer of 2003.
If there is ambiguity about the course of construction of the arena in the near future, the championship could possibly not be held in Riga in 2006. Russia was already mentioned as an alternative for hosting the championship.
Whereas Lipmans said in an interview on Latvian State Television before this that the hockey championship "will be held in Latvia in any case", regardless whether a "contract with "Multihalle" is signed or not".
Janis Silakalns LETA
Copyright © LETA