New performance venue priority

Over 100 MIPIM delegates attending today’s Derby City Embassy at MIPIM, in Cannes, heard that a new performance venue for Derby could be created on the site of the Assembly Rooms as part of a cultural hub at the heart of the city.

Deputy Leader of Derby City Council, Martin Rawson, announced that following advice from their strategic property advisors, Cushman & Wakefield, Derby City Council has decided that the optimum use for the Assembly Rooms site would be a new 1,600-seat theatreand a 3,000-seat second venue for concerts, comedy and conferences. The best case scenario would be for it to be up-and-running in the next five years.

A study undertaken by the consultants suggests a strong case for a financially viable venue, and work will now be undertaken to find a suitable developer for the site and talk with potential end-users.

The study advised that another key regeneration site within the City Centre Masterplan, Duckworth Square, was not the right site for the new performance venue and consequently Derby City Council is aiming to go out to the market later this year for development of that site.

Announcements on other regeneration priorities for the city included news that Middleton House will come to the market in June this year.  Investors and developers attending MIPIM were told that the Derby Property Summit, being held at the iPro Stadium in Derby on 22 June 2016, would be used to further unveil details of opportunities in the city.

Also speaking at the Derby City Embassy was Christine Durrant, Strategic Director of Communities and Place at Derby City Council, and John Forkin, MD of Marketing Derby.  Courtney Fingar, editor of the Financial Times’ fDi magazine gave a compelling presentation on the pros and cons for inward investment of Brexit.