Work will start next month on a £22 million hotel at the Tigers rugby ground in Leicester.
The 183-room complex is going up on the former Granby Halls site, which has been a ground level NCP car park for the past decade or so.
Preliminary works on the site, which will also include an underground car park, due north of the Welford Road Stadium, will begin on Monday, March 23.
Work is also set to start at the same time on the other side of the stadium on a multi-storey car park in place of the current Crumbie Car Park behind The Breedon Stand.
It is understood that neighbouring Leicester Royal Infirmary will take the lion’s share of the 849 spaces in the structure that is set to cost around £11 million.
Some 750 spaces will be used by hospital staff for permit parking with the remaining 99 held for Tigers’ staff and conference guests.
Yorkshire property developer Marshall Commercial Property Development will build the car park and the five-floor hotel and has been working with Leicester-based construction consultancy Pick Everard, which already has strong links to the club.
The hotel – on a the 1.7 acre site – will boast 35,500 sq ft of reception, lounge and dining areas, as well as a business centre, shops and lobby areas opening up onto an outdoor fan zone in front of the Holland & Barrett Stand.
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It will also have a fitness suite, restaurant and fifth-floor ‘sky bar’ on top of the underground car park.
Tigers said the NCP car park will be closed by Friday, March 20.
Tigers chief executive Simon Cohen said the starting date for the hotel marked a huge step for the club, which first announced the plans in July 2017.
The club has not announced any completion dates.
Mr Cohen said: “This is an important project to add to the city centre’s facilities and to support the long-term vision around our stadium.
“It is exciting to be at the stage now where construction can begin and we look forward to working with everyone involved in the development.”
The club anticipates that the construction work will cause some disruption around the stadium in terms of parking and accessibility and in a statement it said it will be putting out further details in due course.
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Supporters who currently have seasonal parking with the club will not be affected, however those in hospitality who usually park in the NCP and Crumbie Car Park respectively will be notified with the appropriate changes.
A spokesman for the club said there was no update on an announcement made last year to find a new buy for the rugby club.
He said “the process is still on-going”.