US construction and services giant Aecom has won a programme management contract in the construction of a new kids-show theme park planned in China worth nearly $2bn.
The contract for the 250-acre Nickelodeon-themed park in the southeastern city of Foshan is a "breakthrough" for Aecom, the firm said, being the first chance to deploy its proprietary large-capital-project programme management system in Asia.
Ground broke on the $1.85bn scheme in January this year.
Featuring attractions based on children’s TV favourites such as "SpongeBob SquarePants" and "Power Rangers", the park will be part of the Foshan Cultural and Ecological Coastal Park, which will include cultural, tourism, sports and technology components, and is anticipated to open between 2020 and 2021.
Aecom signed the deal with the park’s developer, China-based Elite Global Group, during a leisure industry expo in Florida earlier this month.
"This is the first, large-scale agreement for Aecom to deliver its proprietary life-cycle of integrated program management services for a consequential theme park project in Asia and is a breakthrough moment for our program management consultancy business in the People’s Republic of China," said Chris Yoshii, Vice President, Asia Pacific, Aecom.
Foshan, a city of more than seven million people, is part of the affluent, greater Pearl River Delta mega metropolitan region with a catchment of more than 22 million people.
"Millions of Chinese consumers enthusiastically await the opening of the project, which we believe will introduce innovations and advance China’s theme park industry," said Michael Chang, director Elite Global Group’s board.
Image: Render of a Nickelodeon Universe theme park planned for New Jersey, USÂ
