Eleanor Harris: An Eye on British Airways i360

I am delighted to start a regular column to provide an update on the Brighton i360, as this exciting new addition to the city begins to take shape. Anyone who has walked down to the seafront in the last couple of weeks cannot have failed to notice that the build is now well and truly underway. We have already installed five of the 17 steel cans which together will form the 162m high tower and the i360 is already 40m high. It is amazing to imagine that by September, we will have completed building the 162 metre high tower!
Having such visible – and impressive – construction work being carried out on site has certainly increased our public profile and we have noticed a real upturn in interest around the project. Hundreds of people have come down to watch the spectacle of the beach landings and the heavy lifting, and there is a real sense of excitement building on the seafront.

Although the tower has only just begun to appear above the surface, there has been a lot of work going on over the last year – both in preparing the site and behind the scenes on the business itself.
We recently celebrated the first anniversary of our ‘financial closure’ when we signed more than 100 contracts with our funders and construction partners and the project officially started.
Funds have also started to be channelled back into the city, with more than £850,000 paid by the i360 to Brighton and Hove City Council so far. Once we are open, the Council is set to earn over £1m a year, which has been earmarked to invest in the seafront. Overall, the i360 is expected to generate £25 million per year for the local economy
We have proudly been putting all of our tenders out locally and have a growing army of local companies working with us. Our new website (www.brightoni360.co.uk) was designed by Tilt – a digital agency based in Fleet Street near Brighton Station. We have also signed up Masterchef: The Professionals winner and Sussex chef Steven Edwards to design the menus at our brasserie.
Last week, we announced a discount resident scheme offering half price entry to local residents as well as free places to children attending a state school in Brighton and Hove.

It has been a busy week; as well as the beach landings, last weekend, I was honoured to participate in a fundraising event for Rockinghorse and stepped out Strictly Come Dancing style at the Hilton Metropole with my dance partner, David Samuel from Paddle Around the Pier, along with Barry Carden from Cardens Accounting, and Tom Evans and Nicola Hume from Heart FM. Together we raised over £100,000 for the charity.
Brighton has not had a major new attraction since the Victorians built the piers. Do come along to the seafront to watch the tower rise up into the sky.
www.brightoni360.co.uk
www.brightoni360.co.uk/latest-news/webcam
Twitter: @TheBrightoni360 @Eleanor_Harris
Facebook: Brighton-i360 Pinterest: Brightoni360 Pics: Kevin Meredith