Laing O’Rourke appointed to deliver Abraham Moss Library and Leisure Centre

Laing O’Rourke has been appointed by Manchester City Council to construct the Abraham Moss Library and Leisure Centre.

As part of Manchester City Council’s ongoing sport and leisure investment strategy, Abraham Moss Library and Leisure Centre will have a sports hall, two squash courts, gym and dance studio, along with a modern library. The facility will also have a six-lane swimming pool, learner pool, steam room and sauna.

The centre is a major regeneration investment into the area of Crumpsall and will form a key part of the Abraham Moss Community Campus. Laing O’Rourke has started on the structural demolition, which will see the community say goodbye to the aging facilities and hello to the new.

The demolition period follows a collaborative design period with Manchester City Council, during which the team drew upon its previous experience of delivering Hough End, Levenshulme Arcadia and East Manchester Leisure Centres.

Laing O’Rourke is utilising the power of its experience and its own specialist supply chain to deliver Abraham Moss. Crown House Technologies will provide mechanical, electrical and plumbing (MEP) modules and plant equipment, which will be designed and manufactured at its Oldbury facility. These will be delivered to site on a ‘just in time’ schedule and installed to service the entire building.

Concrete specialists, Expanded Geotechnical will construct the substructure, drainage and landscaping elements of the building. It will deliver the reinforced concrete pool structures and raft slabs that utilise the existing basement substructure. Stone and tiling specialist Vetter UK will screed and tile the new pools, changing village and atrium areas.

Laing O’Rourke was selected as preferred contractor through the North West Construction Hub.
Laing O’Rourke’s Project Manager, George Holgate, said: “Our experience on leisure centres across Manchester was key to our appointment to bring the visions for the Abraham Moss library and leisure centre to life. It is great to be on site and it has been an exciting start.

“Our ‘one team’ approach will be vital to delivering certainty for Manchester City Council, with our in-house specialist businesses, Crown House Technologies, Expanded Geotechnical and Vetter contributing heavily. Our knowledgeable team is excited to be providing a modern space for the Crumpsall community.”

Councillor Rabnawaz Akbar, executive member for Neighbourhoods said: "This is an exciting stage of the project, now that Laing O' Rourke has been appointed, and work is beginning to demolish the old facility to make way for the new build.

"Bringing new, improved leisure facilities to the community around Crumpsall is one step closer now that work is beginning on the new Abraham Moss Community Campus. Communities across the city are already benefitting from new leisure facilities and an important element in our investment strategy is to ensure that all our residents have local access to state-of-the-art leisure facilities."