By Matt Jarram, Local Democracy Reporter
The multimillion pound vision for the site of Nottingham’s former Broadmarsh shopping centre has been unveiled – showing parts of the old framed structure kept and integrated with sweeping green spaces.
The ambitious and long-awaited new design was unveiled on Tuesday (December 7) after months of public consultation by Nottingham City Council and work by acclaimed designer Thomas Heatherwick.
The site will be divided into zones with the potential to create 750 homes, an art hotel next to Nottingham Contemporary and 400,000 sq ft of business space to create up to 6,000 jobs.
Nottingham Caves would have a completely new entrance to raise its profile as a key tourist destination, and there would be a green space at the heart of the development for wildlife and people to enjoy.
The former frame of the derelict shopping centre would also be kept and could become a place that could house recording studios, a music venue, food outlets, gyms, skate park, and community garden projects.
Acclaimed designer Thomas Heatherwick is behind the vision, alongside development company Stories.
Both were appointed after Nottingham City Council set up an independent Advisory Group to build on the council’s ‘Big Conversation’ public consultation on the site, which ran in autumn 2020 and attracted thousands of responses.
Project leaders said three quarters of the materials could be used on the old site and there is also the potential for a ‘cultural anchor tenant’ such as a Tate Nottingham gallery.
The design also aims to counter the effect the former Broadmarsh had in blocking some of the key routes around the city and the open space would allow Nottingham Railway Station to be linked to Old Market Square.
Cllr David Mellen (Lab), leader of Nottingham City Council, said: “This is an exciting and forward thinking vision for this city centre site. This is not something the council can do alone.
“We need to secure investment from public and private sector partners – this will take time to get it right but getting it right is what we need to do together.”
Demolition work has already taken place on the western end of the centre near Maid Marian Way and plans are now under way to move onto the first stage, which is the garden.
A Sherwood Forest ‘baby oak’ would be planted within it.
The advisory group is chaired by the Nottingham Project’s Greg Nugent, and was set up after the shopping centre’s owner intu went into administration in August 2020 – just as work was under way to redevelop the centre. The land was later transferred back to the council.
Mr Nugent said it was important to “reimagine the Broadmarsh rather than knock it down”, adding: “Out of the adversity of the collapse of Intu comes a chance for Nottingham to build a new kind of city centre.
“Thomas Heatherwick’s vision creates a blueprint for a City that wants to reinvent itself, ready for life beyond Covid-19.”
Mr Heatherwick added: “The thing that should go (Broadmarsh) is our blessing and our chance. It is a structure we can build from – we can use this giant frame and breathe new life into it.”
There is no timescale on when the development will be fully realised but the advisory board said it could take up to a decade.
However, it will be ‘buzzing’ with work in a year’s time, Mr Nugent said.
Nottingham City Council will now act as the custodians of the site, pursuing a long-term leadership role and working with public and private sector partners to help deliver the vision.
The authority has been advised to establish a delivery ‘vehicle’ with the responsibility and skills to attract public and private investment.
The new body is provisionally called ‘The Broad Marsh Development Partnership’.
It remains unclear how long it will take for parts of the project to get off the ground – in October Nottingham City Council failed with a bid for £20m in Government Levelling Up funding to demolish other parts of the old shopping centre. It plans to submit a fresh bid in the spring.
The council will also have to find up to £6m for master planning, legal work and preparation to take the vision to the private and public sector markets. It is not yet known where this money will come from but an announcement is set for the spring.
The design is developing at a time when the authority is struggling financially in part due to the collapse of its Robin Hood Energy company and a rise in demand for its services coupled with Government cuts.
The council is also currently being monitored by a Government-appointed improvement board, which has set a deadline of March next year for the authority develop a clear financial plan to balance its budget over the next four years.
