Derby chooses £32m Assembly Rooms replacement
after a four-week public consultation on a new performance venue, Derby City Council has taken a decision to move ahead with the 3,000-capacity £32m Music and Performance Venue to replace the 40-year old Assembly Rooms in the city centre.
Derby City Council says the consultation threw “very strongly held views” that a new venue must be delivered sooner rather than later and that this must be a regeneration priority so that Derby can offer a good range of culture options in the city centre.
Deputy leader and cabinet member for regeneration and economy councillor Martin Rawson said: “These results suggest that the Council should lean towards the Music and Performance Venue option. However, in taking our decision we have considered a range of other factors. These include the flexibility of the option to host a range of activities such as dance, theatre, and classical music. The flexibility of a large auditorium and a 400-capacity studio space will also enable it to adapt to future changes in the market and also to host conferences.
“Derby is already the third fastest growing city-economy in the UK. This new venue is a game changer and a catalyst for further investment that will help us build our economy for the benefit of all. This option will also complement plans by the University of Derby for expansion of the Derby Theatre and from a financial perspective, the Music & Performance Venue is the best investment for the Council.”
It is expected that a planning application would be submitted in 2019, demolition and construction would occur in 2020 with a tentative opening date of 2022.
