Design team wanted for Stockport Creative Campus
Stockport Council is looking to transform the grade two-listed Turner’s Vaults into a flexible event and performance space, while 18-19 Market Place will become a creative workspace with a food and beverage offering.
Funds for the project come from a £2.63m award from the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport’s Cultural Development Fund. Stockport Council was one of only seven councils to secure money from the fund’s second round.
To bring its Creative Campus vision to life, Stockport Council has begun the procurement process for two key elements of the project: Turner’s Vaults and 18-19 Market Place.
The council is looking to hire an architect, cost consultant and contract administrator, and MEP engineer. These three roles will form the project’s design team with the architect as lead consultant.
The contract for the design team would run from November 2022 through March 2024.
Turner’s Vaults sits below St Petersgate Bridge and has been vacant for more than 60 years. The grade two-listed space dates to 1895. It has historically been a storage area.
Stockport Council is seeking to transform the vaults into a 5,000 sq ft flexible performance and events space. The future venue would have a capacity of 500 and could offer a variety of day-to-night activities, from workshops to digital art installations to live performances. Initial cost estimates by RPS Group put the build cost at £1.5m.
18-19 Market Place was most recently studio space for Manchester Metropolitan University. Credit: Fiona Davies, PNW
Under the Stockport Creative Campus plans, 18-19 Market Place would become a centre for sustainable innovation. There would be a sustainability-focused food and beverage spot on the ground floor and basement levels and workspaces above.
While 18-19 Market Place was most recently used as a studio space, the grant funding will go on to enhance the building to incorporate sustainability innovations. It will continue to offer workshops and studio spaces, as well as an exhibition space on the upper floor.
Preliminary estimates by RPS put the build cost for this part of the project at £266,500 – but do not include design fees.
Those interested in applying for the design team can find more information on The Chest. The reference number is DN628246.
Yet another hippy dippy idea that brings no trade to an already dying town centre.There is absolutely nowhere in my home town where I can buy either clothing or footwear suitable to my size,age or needs but hey let’s make this the first town centre & market with no shops or stalls,there’s always online shopping.
By Bunty
Bunty – The council cannot force clothing and shoe shops to set up in Stockport if they don’t want to. Blame shoppers for switching to the Internet for their shopping not the council.
By Anonymous
In my opinion, the funding would be better used to get on with building a new swimming pool/leisure complex in Marple, which has been without for several years!
By Anonymous
Sounds exciting! One of the only remaining prominent buildings around the market that are vacant so that’s exciting to see it brought back to use. Have to say I didn’t even realise the structure under the bridge was a building! Will be good to see it brought back into use.
By Anonymous
This is a sensible response to the need to create an attractive and livable town centre. The retail implosion has hit Stockport hard, and those chain stores are not coming back. Good to see the libs are providing continuity with the previous lab administration.
By Peter Black
Well Bunty, a 500 seater performance space would give the potential to bring standup and music acts that normally wouldn’t be able to because of the available venue size. And considering the site has been vacant for over 60 years I hardly think it’s taking up valuable retail space!
By Andrew
Apparently, Post Office Counters Limited are looking to relocate to the market!
By Anonymous
Another regeneration project pushed by the previous Labour administration!
By Anonymous
The workshop space is invaluable – I know of several artists who would Right Now like to use this space . How did MMU come to give up this underused opportunity for its students ? . There has been vast improvement to this area of Stockport and I applaud the idea of a ? performance venue . But research has shown spaces need to be managed by those with Ideas and the tenacity and the foresight to carry these good suggestions forward. Dont think that if you provide it, they will come ?
By Interested Party