In addition to the new indoor arena, a huge multi-storey car park with 1,300 spaces is planned for Cardiff Bay.
The parking lot would replace existing parking lots at County Hall and the Red Dragon Center, freeing up land for development.
Cardiff Council plans to redevelop a large area around Atlantic Wharf and build an arena with 15,000 spectators, 1,100 apartments as well as shops, restaurants and bars.
New details of Atlantic Wharf’s regeneration plan revealed details of the huge parking lot plans as well as a joint project between the City Council and the Wales Millennium Center.
According to public consultation documents on the redevelopment concept, the parking garage would probably be built on the eastern edge of the existing Red Dragon Center parking garage. About 400 spaces would be lost as the current County Hall and Red Dragon Center parking lots together have 1,700 spaces. It would take about two years to build.
According to a cabinet report, 375 charging points for electric vehicles, battery storage, a solar park as well as a “vertical green wall and an integrated hydroponic system” belong to the so-called “green initiatives” to make the parking lot sustainable.
Councilor Russell Goodway, Cabinet Member for Investment and Development, said the redevelopment program was being backed by Cardiff companies and the private sector would take most of the risks in building the arena.
He said, “The city’s business community has supported the project for many years, particularly the hospitality industry. The private sector bears the lion’s share of the risk associated with the handover of the arena.
“The council’s goal has always been to provide a world class arena for Cardiff taxpayers on a cost-neutral basis. To do this, the local council has to invest in part of the upfront costs of the project, but these will be repaid by our private sector partners, who have committed to long-term commercial leasing of the arena.
“This project and the spin-off projects we would like to support will play a key role in creating jobs for Cardiff as we recover from the pandemic.”
The Council’s cabinet is expected to vote on the next steps in the recovery plan on Thursday, July 15. Further updates are expected in September and a building application is expected to be filed in October for the more extensive development work.
Part of the work could be a new manufacturing facility. The Council is discussing a “cultural production partnership” with the Wales Millennium Center. The manufacturing facility would be part of the Red Dragon Center, which is being demolished and rebuilt. The renovation of the center will take place in stages so that all current tenants can stay.
Cllr Goodway added, “The cultural sector, along with the hospitality industry, has been hit hard by the pandemic so it is important that we do everything in our power to revive it after the lockdown and look to the future. Culture, music, theater and art play a key role in a city’s self-definition. It’s a huge crowd puller and a huge part of the economy of any successful city.
“Not only does it offer jobs and careers, it can also market a city in the world. Cardiff, the capital of Wales, needs a successful world-class culture. We’re working with WMC to look for ways to maximize opportunities to support the city’s creative industries.
“The partnership provides for the development of local productions and content that feed the development of Atlantic Wharf, the WMC and other cultural institutions in the city. It is pioneered with local communities and schools to nurture the creative talents of the future.
“We have drawn up a memorandum of understanding with the clear aim of strengthening the international profile of the creative sector in Cardiff; Increasing the value of creative and cultural productions in the city; Increasing attendance and participation in creative and cultural events while supporting a diverse talent pipeline that will support the city’s creative sector. “
