One of Derby’s main venues, the city council-run Assembly Rooms, is to be demolished—and it may take more than three years before a replacement is built.
The 1,200-seat Assembly Rooms suffered extensive damage 12 months ago because of a fire in the plant room on top of its car park. The council estimates the cost of the fire and lost revenue at £5.5 million.
The authority has announced that a new entertainment venue will be built either on the same Market Place site or at another prominent location in the city.
The council had discussions with private operators about taking over the running of the 38-year-old venue but it was seen to be too small to be commercially profitable.
New locations being considered include Duckworth Square, a derelict, former shopping centre which was demolished in 2003. It is close to Derby Hippodrome, itself badly damaged by fire in 2008, which a restoration trust is trying to save.
If another venue is not built on the Market Place, developers may replace it with a complex of shops, restaurants, bars and flats.
The council says a tender for a new venue will be released after its 15-year masterplan for the city centre is completed in October.
Acting chief executive Paul Robinson told a council meeting it was possible that a new venue could be open in three-and-a-half years.
Events that were scheduled for the Assembly Rooms over the past 12 months have been moved to other venues.
The new £28 million Derby Arena on Pride Park, which will have a capacity of 5,000 and also has an indoor cycle track, will open on 20 March. The city council’s 2015 panto Aladdin will move there.
A draft report into the fire concluded that it was due to failings in the design and maintenance of the Assembly Rooms.