Dragages Singapore, a subsidiary of Bouygues Construction and a member of the SHPL* consortium, has signed a contract with the Singapore Sports Council for the Singapore Sports Hub. Part of a private-public partnership (PPP), the contract covers the financing, design, construction and operation of the facility for the next 25 years. 

The contract is the world's largest sports infrastructure PPP. The work, which will be carried out entirely by Dragages Singapore, is worth 770 million euros (for the group's share), or 1.33 billion Singapore dollars. 

Located on a 35 hectare site only 15 minutes from Changi international airport, the Singapore Sports Hub is a huge integrated sports and leisure complex. Work will begin in September 2010 for delivery 43 months later in April 2014 and will involve up to 2,500 employees. Among the facilities to be built are: 

•    a new 55,000-capacity National Stadium with a retractable roof and air-conditioned seating 

•    a 6,000-capacity indoor Aquatic Centre and a water sports centre for the general public 

•    a 3,000 capacity multi-purpose arena that will be fully scalable 

•    the existing 12,000-capacity Singapore Indoor Stadium, which will be incorporated into the programme 

•    an exhibition centre, a sports museum and office space for sporting associations 

•    41,000 sq m of commercial space and food and beverage outlets. 

Located within the city and well connected to the mass transit system, the Singapore Sports Hub will be the country's prime sports and leisure complex while playing a key role in boosting the development of the sports industry. It will be able to host all types of world-class events such as sports events, concerts, exhibitions and conventions. 

Bouygues Construction has already handled a large number of sports and leisure projects, both in France and internationally, many of them on a PPP basis. In July 2010, the company has been chosen to refurbish and operate the Marseille velodrome. 

After recent successes with a cruise terminal (490 million euros) and two rail tunnels (more than 450 million euros) in Hong Kong and with new condominiums in Singapore (90 million euros), Bouygues Construction illustrates with the Singapore Sports Hub its commercial dynamism in Southeast Asia. 

* The Singapore Sports Hub Consortium, incorporated as Sports Hub Pte Limited (SHPL) comprises Dragages Singapore (lead partner), HSBC Infrastructure Fund III (an investment fund managed by the HSBC group and specialised in PPP projects), United Premas (a Singapore-based facilities management company ranked No 1 in Southeast Asia, a subsidiary of Australia's UGL Limited) and Global Spectrum Pico Pte Ltd (a subsidiary of the US company Comcast Spectator, specialised in venue management).