Pro12 Side Cardiff Blues Looking For Long-Term Lease To Redevelop Arms Park

Pro12 rugby side Cardiff Blues rugby region wants to "extend its lease on the Arms Park to rebuild the stadium as well as build an exhibition centre, a hotel and flats," according to the BBC. The lease from Cardiff Athletic Club ends in Jan. '22 and the region "wants a long-term extension so it can redevelop the city centre site." It wants a 15,000-seat stadium with a retractable pitch and sliding roof "so it can be used as a concert venue." Blues CEO Richard Holland said that "talks have taken place for some time." Holland: "We are in the final stages of completing that negotiation and I am hopeful we can call an EGM (emergency general meeting) for January for the athletic club to get them to ratify what is a memorandum of understanding." Any regeneration at the Arms Park site "would add to the redevelopment of that area of Cardiff with the Central Square project next to Cardiff Central Station and the plans to transform the Brains Brewery site" (BBC, 12/16).