Purcell’s Post

The Dover Beacon Project is an exciting initiative which is seeing the redevelopment of an area of Bench Street in Dover. The project will see a creative centre home to a studio and exhibition space for local creatives developed, alongside an educational campus that will provide training opportunities in creative industries. The project is funded by UK Government. Dover District Council Learn more: https://lnkd.in/drc_Ys6u

🏛️ Revitalising Worcester’s Scala Building 🎭 The historic Scala building in Worcester is set for a transformation into a modern arts and entertainment centre, with local contractor Speller Metcalfe appointed to lead the construction. This project, funded in part by the £17.9 million Future High Street Fund, marks a key milestone in reinvigorating the city’s cultural landscape. 🎉 What’s in store for the Scala: 👉 Multifunctional arts venue: Live performances, film screenings, workshops, and more. 👉 Community-driven vision: Input from Worcester's creative organisations ensures the centre will reflect the city’s diverse artistic landscape. 👉 Preserving history: The redevelopment will maintain the Scala’s historical legacy while modernising the space for contemporary cultural use. This exciting project will contribute to Worcester’s cultural and economic growth while creating a vibrant hub for creative expression. https://lnkd.in/epyUqzbg #Worcester #CulturalRevitalisation #CommunityEngagement #ArtsAndCulture

Heritage on Display: MacConvilles Helps Hove Tell Its Story Hove, a place steeped in history and brimming with character, deserves to have its stories told. That's why the Hove Civic Society, founded in 1960 and a registered charity since 1995, is dedicated to showcasing the town's beauty and heritage. Their goal? To pique community interest in everything that makes Hove and its surrounds so special. One way they achieve this is through informative boards scattered around town. To help the Society revamp these displays, MacConvilles stepped in – completely free of charge. We understood the importance of preserving and making Hove's heritage accessible to everyone. A Day in the Life of a Heritage Board Surveyor For this project, we assigned our enthusiastic graduate surveyor, Abigail, this rather unique task. It wasn't your typical building survey! Abigail spent a day travelling around Brighton and Hove on a mission to assess the existing heritage boards. Overall, it was an unusual day from Abigail's typical duties but rewarding nonetheless. "One of the things I love most about working at MacConvilles is the variety of projects I get to work on," Abigail shared. "This heritage board survey was definitely outside the box, but it was a fantastic opportunity to learn and build on my knowledge. Spending a day navigating Brighton and Hove and examining these historical markers gave me a new appreciation for the area's unique features." Securing Hove's Future Abigail's report will be crucial for the Hove Civic Society's bid to the Heritage Lottery. The grant funding will allow for the much-needed refurbishment of these informative displays. Once restored, the informative boards will act as portals to a bygone era, keeping the town's unique character alive for generations to come. https://buff.ly/3Q7uT5o

Please join us for next week's Real Estate Outlook. We have some great speakers lined up to discuss emerging trends in Real Estate in 2025, TOD in and around NYC, a fireside chat with Kenneth Fisher and much more. Lalezarian Properties LLC, Hines, Fisher Brothers, BRP Companies, Fried Frank, CRE Finance Council, Cherre, Sustainable Westchester, Inc., Price Waterhouse Coopers- PwC #ULI #RealEstateOutlook #TOD #EmergingTrends

There's nothing we like more than an interesting site with its challenges!  The Abbey Arts Centre in Barnet is no exception and was our first artist commune.  The site has an eclectic history, opening originally as a Folk Park in the 30s. The centre of the site was a relocated tithe barn that was repurposed as a church.  By the 40s the site was sold on and turned into an Arts Centre and Museum, with accommodation for artists and associated studios. The nature of the use and the ethos established in the 40s remains today with the same family striving to continue the legacy. The relocated tithe barn is a listed structure and it, along with many of the other repurposed buildings on the site have fallen into disrepair or are no longer fit for purpose.  A combination of applications was submitted to both carry out extensive repairs and improvements to the listed barn, as well as the redevelopment of some of the more historic, non-listed, structures on the site to provide improved accommodation and studios for the artist community.  All the applications were refused, with the owner facing continual negativity from the Council towards any preservation of the site. The Conservation Officer didn’t even attend site! It was decided that the only way forward was to appeal.  In allowing all the appeals, the Inspector saw the repairs to the listed barn as essential for its ongoing use, while improvements to the listed barn and development within the wider site were seeking to secure the future of the Abbey Arts Centre as a whole, thereby maintaining its unique setting as well as cultural and creative venture.  The retention of such cultural uses is actively supported by the London Plan and really should have been looked at positively in the first instance. The Inspector's clear understanding of the case and the expert heritage support provided by Katie McAndrew of Hutton + Rostron Environmental Investigations Ltd (A SOCOTEC Company), has resulted in the right decision and the ability for this site to continue to offer its unique setting for the artistic community. You can read the full decision here: https://lnkd.in/eJmvAHcG #TownPlanning #PlanningSuccess #Appeal #Barnet

This list really condenses what is slated in commercial real estate to be done in the next five years. Really well done. #newconstruction https://lnkd.in/gWhF6EVZ

Gensler has been awarded a $25M contract by the Dallas City Council to lead the renovation of the historic Dallas Memorial Auditorium 🏟️ This transformation will make way for the Dallas Wings to call the 9,800-seat arena their new home starting with the 2026 WNBA season. This move follows the City Council’s approval of $19M in incentives to relocate the Wings from UT-Arlington’s College Park Center. The team has signed a 15-year lease for the renovated venue, which first opened in 1957 and once hosted the ABA’s Dallas Chapparals. Read more from Bret McCormick: https://ow.ly/lvnX50UEh7l

🌟 SSRIA member feature Friday!🌟 Building on their initial discussion over the future of the former Royal Alberta Museum, Reimagine Architects are working towards developing an alternative solution to demolition. ⬇️ Read more below from a recent Edify Magazine interview.

Fancy a 5-minute read? Check out the below article by Colin Farquhar, featured in the June edition of the IRRV Valuer, on how Outer Spaces are repurposing our empty spaces! #article #irrv #valuer #commercialproperty #highstreet #charitypropertyprovider #scotland #property #spaces

Are you aware that Millennium Park is celebrating its 20th birthday this weekend, meaning many Chicagoans remember it before it transformed into the 24.5-acre gem it is today? The big picture: One who remembers is Ben Campney, a former city employee who photographed the construction. Flashback: Before it was green space, a pavilion, a fountain and home of "The Bean," it was a big parking lot and old railyard. Catch up fast: Millennium Park opened July 17, 2004. Construction started in 1998 and includes designs by major artists and architects. Frank Gehry designed the Jay Pritzker Pavilion and BP Bridge; Anish Kapoor created Cloud Gate (aka The Bean) and Jaume Plensa designed Crown Fountain. -With the parking garages below, Millennium Park became the largest green roof in the world. -It was the dream project, and a crowning achievement, of Chicago's longest serving mayor, Richard M. Daley. By the numbers: Building Millennium Park ended up costing $490 million, in a mix of public and private dollars. -$270 million came from city parking revenue bonds and tax dollars. -$220 million was from donors, foundations and corporations. Zoom in: Campney worked in Chicago's Public Buildings Commission (PBC) and was sent to the construction site twice a month to document progress to show the mayor. -"He loved Millennium Park," Campney tells Axios. -The only thing that's noticeably aged is the Jay Pritzker Pavilion, Campney tells Axios after his recent visit to the park. -The Chicago Department of Transportation (CDOT) and private contractors Harston/Schwendener started construction in 1998. Walsh Construction took over as general contractors, and PBC replaced CDOT in 2001. #chicago #history #park #city #amusement