Riga City Council to lease land plot on Skanstes Street for hockey arena to builder "Merks"
Riga City Council decided today to lease out a land plot at Skanstes Street to "Merks Ltd." for construction of a multifunctional arena there, necessary for hosting the 2006 Ice Hockey World Championship in Latvia.
Riga City Council decided today to lease out a land plot at Skanstes Street to "Merks Ltd." for construction of a multifunctional arena there, necessary for hosting the 2006 Ice Hockey World Championship in Latvia.
As a result, the city council switched its earlier decision on leasing out the land plot to "Latvijas buvnieku strategiska partneriba" (LBSP).
In accordance with the city council's decision, the name LBSP will be replaced with "Merks" everywhere in the text in the previous decision of the city council, but all other conditions will not be changed, including a penalty of LVL 3 million if the arena is not built by February 1, 2006, if the construction company is at fault.
The Riga City Council, Latvian Ice Hockey Federation (LHF), "Merks" and "Multihalle Ltd." are holding intensive negotiations today to reach agreement on construction of the arena.
A meeting at the Riga Mayor Gundars Bojars' (Latvian Social Democratic Workers Party) office was held at noon to discuss "Multihalle's" refusal to lease the land plot in favor of "Merks".
"Multihalle" Executive Director Ivars Kalviskis explained to LETA that, taking into account that LBSP had notified the city council about its decision to withdraw from the project, "Multihalle" could agree to re-sign the lease agreement with "Merks". However, the law stipulates that LBSP must waive its earlier agreement with "Multihalle".
Several meetings are to be held among the construction companies, LHF and other parties today.
As reported, LHF president Kirovs Lipmans said after a meeting last week with the construction companies and representatives of the Riga City Council that the arena would be built by the Estonian construction company "Merko Ehitus" subsidiary "Merks".
"Merks" has already confirmed it is ready to resume driving piles at the construction site in the near future.
The International Ice Hockey Federation has said that Latvia will have to present the federation a number of agreements on construction and management of the arena by July 1, to prove that it is able to build the arena.
As a result, the city council switched its earlier decision on leasing out the land plot to "Latvijas buvnieku strategiska partneriba" (LBSP).
In accordance with the city council's decision, the name LBSP will be replaced with "Merks" everywhere in the text in the previous decision of the city council, but all other conditions will not be changed, including a penalty of LVL 3 million if the arena is not built by February 1, 2006, if the construction company is at fault.
The Riga City Council, Latvian Ice Hockey Federation (LHF), "Merks" and "Multihalle Ltd." are holding intensive negotiations today to reach agreement on construction of the arena.
A meeting at the Riga Mayor Gundars Bojars' (Latvian Social Democratic Workers Party) office was held at noon to discuss "Multihalle's" refusal to lease the land plot in favor of "Merks".
"Multihalle" Executive Director Ivars Kalviskis explained to LETA that, taking into account that LBSP had notified the city council about its decision to withdraw from the project, "Multihalle" could agree to re-sign the lease agreement with "Merks". However, the law stipulates that LBSP must waive its earlier agreement with "Multihalle".
Several meetings are to be held among the construction companies, LHF and other parties today.
As reported, LHF president Kirovs Lipmans said after a meeting last week with the construction companies and representatives of the Riga City Council that the arena would be built by the Estonian construction company "Merko Ehitus" subsidiary "Merks".
"Merks" has already confirmed it is ready to resume driving piles at the construction site in the near future.
The International Ice Hockey Federation has said that Latvia will have to present the federation a number of agreements on construction and management of the arena by July 1, to prove that it is able to build the arena.
