Painted bright blue and standing at three stories, this is a building that’s hard to miss. However, this former nightclub and commercial unit in Ilkeston will soon have a new look and a new lease on life.
The building in the Derbyshire town has been empty for almost a year after the pet supply company that occupied the ground floor premises at 78-82 Bath Street moved out. Now the iconic building, which once also reportedly hosted a nightclub, could be converted into four shops, two two-bedroom apartments and a gym. Three stores would face Bath Street and one would face the existing parking lot on Chapel Street, opposite the new site of the pet supply company that had occupied the main building.
The former Chambers pet supply store is a prominent landmark in the city centre, painted in a spectacular bright blue. However, as part of the new plans, the building would be repainted white “to give it back a more traditional look,” reports Derbyshire Live. And, in addition to repainting, the makeover will include new windows and doors and internal roller blinds.
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Documents submitted by Adplot Ltd to Erewash City Council detail that the building closed on Friday 1 April 2022. A report submitted with the application says: “The building is in a slight state of disrepair and due to the current size of the unit the client believes that the building cannot be rented in its current format. The front of the building has architectural value, although it is in a slight state of disrepair and has been painted a light blue.
“The current building is vacant and needs significant work for any new occupants. The building has been vacant since April 2022. The client has been looking for new occupants, but it is now difficult to find suitable tenants for this type of large building in a central location.
“The site represents a major building in Ilkeston town centre, which is currently vacant and requires a very specific type of end user to fully utilize it. Large commercial units in city centers are now less common. Smaller rental units are believed to be much more desirable to potential business owners than the current large unit configuration.
“The proposed storefront will have a positive impact on the street scene and conservancy, by removing some not-so-sympathetic additions. The proposal offers a significant opportunity to reuse the current building and also offers an architectural improvement over the existing building.”
It is understood that the four commercial units would occupy the ground floor, with a gym and a two-bedroom apartment on the first floor and another two-bedroom apartment on the second floor.
The documents indicate that the new plans would create 10 new jobs. The city council will make a decision on the plans in the coming months.
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