Sneak peak inside old Debenhams as ‘thrilling’ city campus revamp gathers pace by Marketing | Gloucester News Centre - http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk/
The redevelopment of the former Debenhams store in Gloucester is well underway and is on schedule to open for students as a city campus in time for September 2024.
University of Gloucestershire announced it had bought the iconic Kings Square building in early 2021 with the aim of giving the building a new lease of life as a modern centre for teaching, learning and community partnerships.
And the Local Democracy Reporting Service was allowed in to see how work is progressing and how most traces of the former building’s life as a department store is being replaced.
The development of this 20,000m2 building has been designed to include a new Arts, Health and Wellbeing Centre in partnership with One Gloucestershire, a new city library in partnership with Gloucestershire County Council and a public cafe.
And Dr Matthew Andrews, Pro Vice-Chancellor Governance and Student Affairs, says the redevelopment of the building goes to the heart of what a university is for. He says the university must also play its role as part of the city’s civic structure and the new city campus has been designed with that in mind.
“People would feel universities are for teaching, research and courses, and all of that is true. But for me universities are also crucial parts of the community and are part of the civic structure.
“We absolutely have a responsibility to our place with what we do. We have homes in both Cheltenham and Gloucester. Within Gloucester, this presented an ideal opportunity to build on all of our main objectives.
“We can do more teaching here, it will support some of our research but it also enables us to be truly located in the heart of this community doing something fantastic to a well loved building.”
Dr Andrews said buying the building was a university initiative and it all seemed to come together.
“We made enquiries worked out the price and felt there was an opportunity we couldn’t miss here.
“I remember the day we made the public announcement there was a real sense of thrill. The worst case it could have been knocked down and turned into something bland and meaningless that didn’t speak to people’s memories of the site.
“To come in with a purpose for the building that really seemed to give it a new life and vibrancy.”
The first phase of work should be completed before the beginning of the 2024/25 academic year.
And Dr Andrews explained that the university is yet to fully determine their plans for the second phase which will include the top two floors.
“We have ideas but we need to take stock on what we do. A lot of the substantial infrastructure work will be done.
“Phase two is fitting out. The walls roof will be water tight.”
“It’s important the building becomes part of the life of the centre of Gloucester. It needs to be a permeable place people come into. Moving in the public library is part of that.
“We hope something as simple as getting a tea or a coffee in this space and events and programmes to bring people in. Universities must connect with the community a magnet for people from other places
Gloucester City Council leader Richard Cook (C, Kingsway) said it is a magnificent opportunity for the city centre.“It’s just fantastic and completely changes the character of the city centre,” he said.“We need more people in the city centre which attracts more businesses. It revitalises the city.
“Imagine this square when it’s fully occupied by all the great companies who might want to be here. At the moment there are many empty units but that won’t last.”
By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
Gloucester News Centre – http://gloucesternewscentre.co.uk
The redevelopment of the former Debenhams store in Gloucester is well underway and is on schedule to open for students as a city campus in time for September 2024.
