Glasgow-based British Basketball League club the Caledonia Gladiators has detailed plans to invest over £20m (€23m/$24m) in a new arena project.
The arena will have a capacity of 6,000 and the project is said to mark the largest investment in basketball in Scottish history.
The two-stage development will see the Gladiators’ men’s and women’s teams initially move to a 1,800-seat temporary facility at the PlaySport Scotland leisure complex in East Kilbride in the summer.
Work on the new purpose-built, 6,000-capacity arena will begin in 2024. The site, which will also include a five-court practice and community facility, is expected to be completed in 2026. The Daily Record reported that the arena could also act as a concert venue.
The announcement has been made today (Tuesday) by Gladiators owners Steve Timoney and his wife Alison ahead of the men’s team’s first BBL Trophy Final in nine years against Cheshire Phoenix. The match will take place at Glasgow’s Emirates Arena on March 26 in front of a sell-out 6,000 crowd.
The team hopes the new arena will further raise the profile of basketball in Scotland, with aspirations for the venue to become the “finest basketball facility in Europe” and eventually become the home of Team GB.
Steve Timoney said: “This is a hugely exciting moment for the future of the Caledonia Gladiators. Our new base at PlaySport will go on to become one of the finest basketball facilities in Europe once it is completed in 2026. It includes plans for a class-leading academy, which will train youngsters from Scotland and across the world with the aim of developing them into elite players.
“We believe our new facility has the potential to help Caledonia Gladiators become one of the most successful men and women’s teams in the BBL and WBBL, with ambitions to play at the top level in Europe. It’s a great time for the club, with our BBL Trophy final match round the corner, and we’re all hugely looking forward to that match.”
