A unique opportunity to transform Long Eaton’s town centre Box Office building into a thriving arts and culture hub is on offer for commercial organisations or individuals.
Erewash Borough Council has announced it is ‘testing the water’ to find possible expressions of interest in running the site as a community facility.
The move comes after the Long Eaton Town Deal Board won £24.8m of funding for Long Eaton for a series of projects to take the town forward over the next decade – with the redevelopment of the derelict Box Office one of the key ambitions.
The building stands at the very heart of the town centre overlooking the Market Place and the proposal is to revitalise it with a £5.3m redevelopment that would then open it up for commercial opportunities to be run as a thriving culture and arts venue.
But first the council says it is crucial to hear from organisations or groups on how they would use the redeveloped interior and earn an income from it – it could include, for example, a small cinema for independent films, a café, performance areas and provide classes and events.
Richard Ledger, Chair of the Long Eaton Town Deal Board, says initial ideas on how the building could be commercially run for the community are needed now to help shape the interior design and redevelopment:
“This is a great opportunity for those with ideas, commitment and ambition to provide a thriving centre for Erewash residents – with the potential of also pulling in visitors from surrounding areas. We’re looking for interested parties who have the imagination and inspiration.”
His comments have been backed by Councillor Bryn Lewis, Erewash Borough Council’s Lead Member for Town Centres:
“We need to see who is out there and who might be interested as soon as possible. This is crucial to our project to redevelop the building, which is in a poor state inside, and will enable us to look at the interior design – especially the use of floor space on the ground and upper floor/balcony areas.
“The Box Office is a prominent building right at the centre of Long Eaton and is a great opportunity for someone to help breathe new life into the town by offering arts and cultural entertainment for everyone.”
Full details can be found at www.erewash.gov.uk/boxOffice Or email procurement@erewash.gov.uk for a questionnaire that needs to be completed and returned by 2pm on Monday 10 January.
A video of Richard Ledger talking about the opportunity can be viewed here https://youtu.be/Q_Yv87DdyVk
