The Council Cabinet has decided to commit a further chunk of public money to its Cultural Gateway project. The actual amount of money is secret but is assumed to be embarrassingly large.
The project was initially sent out to 14 potential contractors and 8 of them expressed an interest in tendering. However, as the project developed only one contractor remined interested and required far more money than allocated in the project.
This was followed by an intense period of negotiation and “value engineering” to reduce the potential cost of the project.
The council is claiming that its plans to create a new cultural hub in Coventry city centre could boost the region’s economy by £185 million and is value for money, but without the figures it is not possible for the public to form an opinion.
Construction on the former IKEA building, to transform it into a large-scale cultural landmark with facilities for residents and visitors to the city to enjoy, is planned to begin in the summer.
The project is imaginatively named the City Centre Cultural Gateway (CCCG). The scheme is a partnership between Coventry City Council, Arts Council England, the British Council, Arts Council Collection, CV Life and Coventry University, which will occupy two floors of the building.
The plans were discussed at a meeting of Coventry City Council’s Cabinet on 12th March, providing more detail on the future plans, but all financial aspects were kept secret and not available to the public.
The report to councillors shows that initial, high-level economic modelling has estimated that delivery of the project has the potential to support temporary construction jobs and longer-term jobs in arts, culture, tourism and hospitality-related sectors.
It predicts the scheme could generate around £185m in Gross Value Added (GVA) for Coventry and the West Midlands over a 10-year period.
Subject to Council and partner approvals, construction work is set to start in Summer 2024 to be completed by late Summer 2025.
The construction will allow partners to create a space to be used in a variety of ways. The refitted building will host everything from collections management facilities, artists’ studios and post-production filming facilities to galleries and a public cafe.
Cllr David Welsh, Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities, said: “I am thrilled that we are moving towards the construction commencing for this fantastic project which brings national partners, Arts Council England, Arts Council Collection and the British Council, to Coventry. The City Centre Cultural Gateway will be such a brilliant addition to our city, and it will be open for residents, visitors and industry professionals to use.
“This scheme will breathe new life into the city and despite the financial challenges this council, like all local authorities, currently faces, and this demonstrates our commitment and ambition to continue to improve the city.
“We cannot stand still, and this scheme is the first step to delivering even more. It has the potential to bring so much to the city and offer opportunities to so many.
“It will be a positive transformation for our city as the building has boundless potential and we’re eager to showcase that together with our partners.
“Each floor has a different but exciting use. We envisage it will become a dynamic space for people to work, learn and relax whilst maintaining its role for the management of collections of national significance.
“I look forward to sharing the progress of the construction over the next 12 – 18 months.”
The ground floor will host the building’s reception area and a public cafe. CV Life will relocate the Council-owned vintage vehicles in storage to the ground floor, whilst relocating social history, human history and archaeological artefacts into wider collection management spaces in the building. This will allow for more public access to these collections through organised visits.
The third floor will become the main area for collection storage, which has double-height ceilings, whilst the majority of the fourth floor will be used as office space for staff.
Coventry University will occupy floors five and six. The university will create a Cultural Hub that will offer a variety of facilities for students, visitors and the community.
The Coventry Society supports this project in principle but we are disgusted that the Council is not willing to tell Coventry people how much it will all cost!