The brand new Lansdowne Road stadium moved a step closer today with the awarding of the design and project management contracts for the development.
Design and project management are two of the key contracts for the stadium development and Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Mr John O'Donoghue, TD said: "The company is now fully geared up to lodge a planning application in December. We now have a team in place that can deliver a world class facility, which will be a vital support for sport at a national and international level, and at the same time can also respond constructively to the concerns of the local community."
The design contract has been awarded to a consortium led by HOK Sports, one of the world's largest sport architectural practices, that includes Irish architects Scott Tallon Walker.
HOK Sport, which played a role in the redevelopment of Croke Park, is currently involved with both the new Arsenal and Wembley stadia in the UK.
The contract for project management services has been awarded to a consortium led by Project Management Ltd. Their recent projects include work at Pfizer, UCC, Abbott in Cootehill, Co Cavan and Dublin Bus.
Mr O'Donoghue said the team would be consulting widely with all of the different stakeholders, including the local community, to develop the best possible stadium, and confirmed that the Government would provide €191 million towards the total cost of the project - estimated at €292 million.