Plans have been unveiled for the regeneration of the derelict Broadmarsh shopping centre in Nottingham, which the council hopes will help the city centre recover from the hit of Covid-19.
Developer Stories and urban designer Heatherwick Studio were appointed back in July by the council to create a “new vision” for the 20-acre site. The part-demolished shopping centre was handed back to Nottingham City Council at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, after real estate investment trust Intu Properties went into administration.
These new proposals include 750 new homes and more than 400,000 sq ft of office and conference space.
The scheme, which is expected to take 10 years to finish, will generate 3,000 jobs during its completion and 3,000 new roles once development is finished.
Nottingham City Council has backed the regeneration plan. Greater Broad Marsh Advisory Group – created by the council in March – will advise on the setting up of the delivery partnership, provisionally called Broad Marsh Development Partnership, which will be responsible for attracting public and private investment.
The next stage of the project is expected to take between two and three years and will require around £5-6m of investment. The funds will be used for demolition, masterplanning, legal work on title, and preparation to take the scheme to the private and public sector markets.
Thomas Heatherwick, designer at Heatherwick Studio, said: “Rather than demolish the structure, we are proposing to keep the frame and breathe new life into it, creating a place that can hold the diversity and vibrancy that is so lacking from many city centres.”
Greg Nugent, independent chair of the Greater Broad Marsh Advisory Group, said: “Heatherwick’s vision creates a blueprint for a city that wants to reinvent itself, ready for life beyond Covid-19.”
The “new vision” is set to reinstate Nottingham’s “lost street connections” to reconnect different parts of the city. The proposed scheme will also create a new ‘green heart’ for the city centre, across nine acres of public realm.
As part of the regeneration, Nottingham’s cave network will be “rejuvenated”, creating a new entrance and transforming the existing Severns House into a hotel, allowing visitors to sleep above the caves.
David Mellen, leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “Now we will begin the important work necessary to test the new vision and our ability to realise it. We have said all along that this isn’t something the council can or would want to do on its own.
“We will continue to work with colleagues on the advisory group to develop a masterplan for the space and secure the investment needed from public and private sector partners.”
To send feedback, e-mail evelina.grecenko@eg.co.uk or tweet @gre_eve
