New Arts Hub
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Councillor Pritchard should not confuse negativity with concern for a project that in his own Council’s opinion will be loss making. If he guarantees the Arts Hub will be at least a break even project he might find more support. Pointing out that a loss making project is not a good idea is being realistic not negative.
It as quite ironic this morning that one of the points made by the Lead Member in defence of the Arts Hub related to the decline of Arts retention in Glyndwr University because there was no ability to continue applying the skills that might have been gained on a University Course locally. In the Lead Member’s opinion, cometh the need, cometh the Arts Hub.
Unfortunately, those who are opposing the Lead member’s specific proposals are not opposing the development of an Arts base in the town. What many of these opponents have been arguing for is the development of Artisan Arts and Crafts where the Entrepreneurs involved create their Art/Craft and sell it within the complex. This would not mean developing the so-called ‘High Arts’ (for Art’s sake) but allow something that would complement the Market to be created
[quote quote=105130]As the ‘restricted ‘ document is now in the public domain is Wrexham.Com going to post the full document on the web site
[/quote]Just a note on this, it is due to be published on the Council’s website and it appears a technical issue has prevented that from happening as of yet.
The Council has now agreed it is in the public interest to bring the document under ‘Part 1’ rather than ‘Part 2’.
As and when it appears it will get linked up.
Meanwhile, just 12 miles up the road, Cheshire West and Chester Council are spending £37 million on a new “cultural centre” in Chester with just £3 million of Arts Council money.
Another observation from the recent meeting as reported on Wrexham.com:
“The commercial content of the Arts Hub was questioned by one town trader, who said: “Wrexham needs entrepreneurs and the greatest place to get people off the ground is a market.”Well clearly these entrepreneurs are not currently queuing up are they. But if they do suddenly appear, I would suggest there is room in the Butchers Market or the remaining People’s Market for them.
The document is now up and open https://www.wrexham.com/news/u-turn-as-arts-hub-business-plan-released-in-public-interest-105523.html
The total,rental income envisaged from the document posted on the Council website for the Arts Hub is £194,280 per annum. Retail units will pay £160 per square metre and produce total income of £78080 , the cafe/ bar will pay £250 per square metre and pay £32500 in rent, the market stalls will pay £120 per square metre and raise a total of £67,200 in rent. Are these rental prices per square metre realistic in relation to other properties available in Wrexham? The Arts Hub needs to be fully let if the deficit each year is to be minimised.
[quote quote=105559]
Another observation from the recent meeting as reported on Wrexham.com:
“The commercial content of the Arts Hub was questioned by one town trader, who said: “Wrexham needs entrepreneurs and the greatest place to get people off the ground is a market.”Well clearly these entrepreneurs are not currently queuing up are they. But if they do suddenly appear, I would suggest there is room in the Butchers Market or the remaining People’s Market for them.
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I was actually the very person who made these comments and I am one of those who jumped ship from the Market. No Entrepreneur will invest in a place that has been left to rack and ruin, where the rents are higher than outside the Market and where the management has been a shambles. It is one of life’s great ironies that WCBC are proposing channelling money (at last!!) into a resource with huge potential and still envisaging losses on-going yet could not invest a bean into the same place before when it was merely a bog standard market. It is even more ironic that the Peoples Market has subsidised the other 2 Markets
A brief PS to the above…..I would welcome the chance to re-enter the People’s Market if Nigel Lewis’ Plan B option is up-taken by the authority. The whole place clearly needs reconfiguring, redecorating, rebranding, new management.
Entrepreneurs do not just go into a place blind. There has to be sound business reasons…then they will
Page 19 of the 66 page document has the figures for capital expenditure ( the document doesn’t allow copy and paste ) the Flexi Gallery 1 will cost £352,000 and will,be 250 square metres, Flexi Circulation ( excluding market island and perimeter stalls will cost £748,800 and professional fees will amount to £462,000. Those are the three largest items of listed expenditure.
[quote quote=105574]The total,rental income envisaged from the document posted on the Council website for the Arts Hub is £194,280 per annum. Retail units will pay £160 per square metre and produce total income of £78080 , the cafe/ bar will pay £250 per square metre and pay £32500 in rent, the market stalls will pay £120 per square metre and raise a total of £67,200 in rent. Are these rental prices per square metre realistic in relation to other properties available in Wrexham? The Arts Hub needs to be fully let if the deficit each year is to be minimised.
[/quote] When I left the Butchers Market in 2009 I paid a rent of £4,400 for 26.85 sq metres = £164 per sq metre. On top of the £4,400 I paid a Service Charge of £2,620 Total £7,020.
We were told the space available in the Hub for market traders was 660 sq metres. If they envisage rental income of £67,200 from market stalls @ £120 sq metre, this means that the available space for market traders reduces to 560 sq metres. The figures change from day to day. One day this Council will hopefully be able to publish the correct figures, and stop kidding the public .
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