Exciting plans for Chester’s iconic new theatre, library and cinema complex will take centre stage at the next One City Plan (OCP) drop-in event.
The event, which is open to all, takes place at Chester Town Hall’s Palatine Room on Tuesday, December 10.
And following the successful introduction last month of a lunchtime session, it will again feature two sessions – 11.30am-1pm and 4.30-6.30pm.
It will give people the opportunity to discover the latest developments in the £37.5m project to transform the former Odeon building into a cultural centre featuring a theatre, library and cinema.
The first stage of the project – to demolish the adjacent Commerce House – is now underway, with completion scheduled for May.
The 800-seat theatre is to be housed in a new building, linked by open foyer spaces to the Grade II listed Odeon building, which will be transformed into a contemporary city library featuring a café, study spaces and a 120-seat cinema.
Key features of the cultural centre will include:
• 800-seat theatre with adaptable seating and staging.
• Studio with 150 seats.
• Cinema with 120 seats. This will echo the 1930s where audiences will be transported back to a period inspired by the work of Oscar Deutsch. This room will not only be used for a film programme but also for seminar and community use, heritage film programming, talks and other activities.
• Library. Contemporary library provision will sit at the heart of the public spaces, blending and working alongside the performing arts and film provision, to seamlessly connect and add value to all activity taking place in the building.
• Café bars and foyers. These will provide an important conduit to connect all the functions and will be used for display and interpretation, meetings and talks, activities and presentation of project outputs.
Members of the team will be on hand to discuss the project, together with representatives from Chester Renaissance.
The event will also feature updates on the various initiatives that form part of the OCP, which aims to guide the future economic regeneration of Chester.
The 15-year strategy will co-ordinate and drive a programme of public and private investment and development activity into the city centre.