New greenery, benches, soft play areas and other facilities have now been introduced at Swansea’s emerging coastal park.
About the same size as a football pitch, the 1.1-acre park forms part of the £135m Copr Bay phase one district being developed by Swansea Council.
Run by the Secret Hospitality Group, a café restaurant called The Green Room will also be located at the coastal park.
Other features of the coastal park include bug hotels, water features and a selection of new trees. Over 70 trees are being introduced as part of the Copr Bay phase one district as a whole.
Many of the park benches will be solar-powered, with technology enabling people to charge their smartphones, tablets and laptops.
As well as accommodating visitors to the Copr Bay district and Swansea Arena, the park will support people who live and work in the city centre.
Constructed above a new car park, the coastal park has been designed in a dune-like shape to celebrate its proximity to the coast.
Cllr Rob Stewart, Swansea Council Leader, said: “There’s been significant progress at the coastal park in recent weeks as we build towards opening the facility to the public in the coming weeks.
“The first new city centre park in Swansea since Victorian times, the coastal park will give people a great place to meet to take in the views, spend time with family and friends, or get a meal or a drink before an event at the arena.
“It’ll be a family-friendly environment, adding even more greenery to the city centre as part of a scheme which will considerably boost our economy and create many jobs for local people.”
Cllr Robert Francis-Davies, Swansea Council’s Cabinet Member for Investment, Regeneration and Tourism, said: “The coastal park is an exciting feature of the Copr Bay district, which is one part of an on-going, multi-million pound regeneration story in Swansea that’s transforming our city into the one of the UK’s very best to live, work, study and visit.
“It follows on from a large amount of new greenery that’s already been introduced in the city centre to generate a more pleasant environment for local people and visitors to the city – with more greenery soon due to follow as part of schemes including our Castle Square Gardens revamp.”
Copr Bay phase one is being advised by development managers RivingtonHark, with Buckingham Group Contracting as main contractor.
Worth £17.1m a year to Swansea’s economy, Copr Bay also includes the new bridge over Oystermouth Road, new apartments, more new car parking and other new spaces for leisure and hospitality businesses.
