Empty Henblas Street shops and office space temporarily reopened for arts display

Long-term empty shops in Wrexham town centre have been temporarily reopened – although it might not be for the reason you think.

The properties have been opened as part of an art exhibition hosted by Preservation and Promotion of the Arts (PAPOA) – a charitable organisation which aims to promote the arts.

This is the second time the organisation have visited Wrexham, having played host to a similar exhibition in October.

As part of the display the empty properties on Henblas Street have been opened and used to display images and books – with each of the shops hosting a different set of pictures.

Interestingly there is also a display in the former office space of Henblas Street, which is also located above the shops. Wrexham.com along with chairman of the Town Centre Forum Alex Jones and Town Centre Steering Group Sam Regan, were kindly shown around the exhibition earlier today, which along with seeing the art on display, gave a rare opportunity to see the former council offices on Henblas Street.

Like the shops below, the former council offices on Henblas Street have been empty for a while, however there is hope that this will change in the near future.

In July 2017 Wrexham.com reported that Manchester based MCR Property Group had acquired the ownership of the empty shops and office space on Henblas Street.

The company describes itself on its website as a ‘real estate investment and development company focused on the strategic acquisition and repositioning of commercial, residential and industrial and retail assets across the UK’.

Speaking over the summer the company said they were confident they could provide a ‘mixed-use offering’ for the vacant site.

The art exhibition ends tomorrow.