The National Indoor Arena (NIA) has been granted full planning permission for its proposed refurbishment by Birmingham City Council.
The £20.6m modernisation of the NIA will feature a new showcase entrance straight from Brindley Place into the arena, with views over the canal and the city.
Following the decision by the city council Phil Mead, Managing Director of Arenas for The NEC Group, which manages the centre, said: “This decision is extremely positive, and we can now realise our plans to improve this Birmingham venue, in line with the council’s Big City Plan. The NIA is a key national as well as regional venue and it has been over two decades since any modernisation has taken place.”
The work is set to get underway in late 2012 and will include improved facilities and a greater emphasis on pre- and post-show experience. Improvements include the new glazed entrance which will secure the venue as a focal point and increased ease of access for promoters, artists and visitors to the building.
This news follows the recent announcement of a five-year sponsorship deal between The NEC Group and Barclaycard, who will become the payment partner for The Ticket Factory, the LG Arena, the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) as well as naming rights partner at the NIA.
When the refurbishment of the central Birmingham site is completed, it has been proposed that the venue will be known as the NIA, A Barclaycard Unwind Experience.
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