Construction under way at NEC's Bear Grylls Adventure
Despite the heavy snow, construction work is under way at the new £20 million Bear Grylls Adventure at the NEC.
When it opens next year the 86,000 sq ft site will be a one-of-a-kind attraction where thrill-seekers can experience physical and mental challenges inspired by explorer, Bear Grylls.
It is being built by Merlin Entertainments, owner of Alton Towers and a string of theme parks around the world, including Legoland Windsor and Madame Tussauds.
General Manager James Thomas was on site to see for himself the progress. Initial ground clearance is taking place to make way for the attraction, while work has also started on installing external and dividing walls which will house the series of extreme adventure challenges..
Foundations for the adventure park’s iFLY indoor skydiving wind tunnel, and zip wire and high ropes course will also start this month, with development of the structural walls for the enormous 886m3 diving tank also underway. This would fill more than 6,500 bathtubs. Contractors have also begun mechanical and electrical work.
McGoff Construction are leading building works on site and have recently completed the Castle Hotel at Legoland Windsor Resort and CBeeBies Land Hotel at Alton Towers Resort.
The attraction will use a number of local building material suppliers and will employ more than 200 staff during the various construction phases.
Following the initial construction work, a team of creative specialists will work on turning the attraction into an immersive and authentic wilderness experience which will house a series of planned challenges and activities. The team will create life-like rock formations based on El Capitan and Fontainebleau, as well as unexplored jungle scenes.
Mr Thomas said: “We’re thrilled to be part of this world first project, that will bring adventurers to Birmingham. This attraction has been years in the planning with the team from Merlin and Bear himself, so we’re very excited that the build is now underway.
“The Merlin team has worked very hard on the theming of the attraction and we will be taking delivery of a huge number of authentic artefacts of all shapes and sizes over the coming months – ranging from a Chinook helicopter to a light aircraft, army vehicles, Bear’s equipment from his own adventures and the large scale construction pieces needed for the indoor diving experience and Europe’s highest free roam high ropes course.”
Mr Thomas, originally from New Zealand where he started working for Merlin seven years ago, said the site was "a hike of activity" with 120 people already working there. This is due to grow to 200 in the coming weeks.
Taking inspiration from Bear’s real-life expeditions across mountains, deserts and jungles around the world, the attraction will give guests the ultimate platform to truly test themselves with challenges inspired by Bear Grylls.
