All major structural work has been done on the planned wine cultural centre in Bordeaux, the Cite des Civilisations du Vin, but the project is set to cost millions of euros more than expected.
The first vines were planted at Cite des Civilisations du Vin in 2013.
Project director Philippe Massol said the wine tourism centre remains on-track to be ready in March 2016. But, the budget has been revised upwards and there is now a projected over-spend of 14.5m euros.
The centre, which will act as a hybrid gallery, museum and cultural space, is located along the city’s waterfront was originally announced as costing 63m euros.
This rose to 66.6m to reflect cost of living rises, according to the project team. But, it now expects the true construction cost to be 77.7m euros, due to extra construction charges and a slight increase in land values, the project team said.
Another 3.4m euros has been earmarked for ‘visitor experience technology’ – including smartphones that can translate into eight languages – which means the project is set to cost 81.1m euros in total.
‘The initial cost was estimated five years ago,’ Massol told Decanter.com. ‘But, the figures that we are giving now are firm, with room within in them to be adjusted downwards.
‘The 3.4m euro technology figure would not normally be included in the build costs, but city mayor Alain Juppe is very keen that we are totally transparent.’
Bordeaux’s city council will supply the extra funds and is now contributing 31m euros of the total costs.
That is still less than that centre’s forecasted 40m euro boost the Bordeaux regional economy. The project has created 200 jobs per year over the three-year construction period. It is set to create 250 full-time jobs on opening.
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