Pop-up businesses could set up shop in Nottingham’s Sussex Street, Collin Street and Listergate, and potentially stay in the area long-term as Nottingham City Council wishes to revive streets around the Broad Marsh area.
The council is looking for ideas from potential operators. Proposals are at an early stage, but could involve independent traders, food and drink outlets, entertainment including seasonal events and opportunities for local producers, suppliers and artists to showcase themselves. The aim is to provide opportunities to temporarily use sites initially for up to five years, with a view to starting to establish some of the new activities from towards the end of this year.
The move comes as the area continues to be redeveloped, with the new Central Library due to open and work on the Green Heart area starting later this year. Public realm improvements like those already carried out on Carrington Street and Sussex Street will also get underway on Collin Street, connecting the new library and new college via amphitheatre-style steps and offering a fresh new gateway to the city via the Green Heart area and Listergate.
More than a million people pass through the area every year, including visitors to the city coming from the train station, tram system and new Broad Marsh bus station and car park, along with thousands of students at the new Nottingham College. The aim is to create new destinations to attract others and give everyone a reason to stay, by providing a taste of the activity that the area will ultimately deliver when the full vision is realised over the next 15 years.
The three proposed sites are a 450sqm area at the bottom of the amphitheatre steps on Sussex Street near Nottingham College, and 700sqm spaces on Collin Street across from the new library and the Lister Square part of the new Green Heart area.
City Council Leader David Mellen said: “We’ve made fantastic progress on our plans to completely change the look and feel of this part of the city. Streets that were once filled with traffic are now pleasant places to be, students are enjoying the new college, and the new bus station and car park are up and running in a modern building where the new central library will open later this year.
“Work on the Green Heart and Collin Street improvements will also get underway this year – but we know that it will be some years before the vision for the whole site will be fully realised. Rather than wait, we are keen to start to find ways to animate the area, make it a destination in its own right and give people reasons to linger and enjoy it rather than simply passing through. We want to hear from organisations with ideas for what could help to animate the area, for an initial period of up to five years, with a view to becoming part of the Broad Marsh experience long-term.”
