Former world champion boxer Amir Khan is planning to sell his new events venue in his Bolton hometown, three months after its launch. He posted on the X platform on Thursday that he was “looking to sell my wedding hall for £12.5 million”.
The Balmayna venue, which includes a car park for 200 vehicles and palm trees, has drawn both praise for local investment and complaints. Critics said the 800-capacity premises looked out of place in Washington Street, surrounded by houses and vehicle maintenance firms. On Balmayna’s social media profile, the four-floor premises is described as a “luxury wedding and events venue” and is said to be "the brainchild of Amir Khan" on its official website.
Khan, who rose to fame at the age of 17 after winning an Olympic silver medal, invested in the property along with local businessman Mohammad Jaberansari. Planning permission for the project was granted in 2013 but various setbacks led to costs spiralling, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service. Mr Jaberansari recently told a licensing panel he had spent £6m while Khan “spent £10m on this project”, as they tried to improve the area and recruit about 100 venue staff.
“These sorts of venues - you normally expect them near London, not in Bolton, but I would rather invest in my hometown,” Mr Jaberansari said. Khan posted about the venue’s opening in June, saying it came “after blood, sweat and tears”. The BBC has contacted his representatives for a comment.
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