A stunning new arts complex, which will rejuvenate arts and culture in the city has been given the green light by Southampton City Council’s planning panel.

The 100,000 sq ft arts complex and new restaurant and retail space will create more than 300 direct jobs with work aiming to start on site next summer.

Grosvenor signed a formal agreement with Southampton City Council in 2010 and has been working in partnership with them to develop a detailed 
proposal for the scheme, which will be arranged around the newly landscaped Guildhall Square.

Councillor Royston Smith, Leader of Southampton City Council said: “Planning approval marks a significant step in this important build for the city.

“Another key development in the Cultural Quarter is now coming to fruition and I know residents are as excited as I am that the development of the arts complex will shortly commence onsite.

“It will be a place in the Cultural Quarter where all the arts can thrive and will draw in tens of thousands of visitors every year. Despite the current financial climate, we continue to attract investment and create vital new jobs for our residents.”

Alex Robinson, development manager, Grosvenor, commented: “Grosvenor has worked closely with Southampton City Council over the past few months to ensure that we submitted a proposal that combined outstanding design and exceptional leisure facilities. We are very pleased that this scheme has been approved at committee and are excited to be moving forward with our lettings campaign.”

Grosvenor has worked with architects CZWG to ensure that the scheme becomes established as the city’s flagship Cultural Quarter development.

Plans include 6 restaurant units, 29 flats in addition to the new arts complex which comprises auditoria, studio and creation space for the performing arts, a contemporary art gallery (John Hansard, University of Southampton) and 
film/media facilities (City Eye).

The design also incorporates a striking glazed façade, a pedestrianised link to historic East Park, and soaring stepped upper floors. Southampton City Council was last year granted £7.2m from Arts Council England for the arts complex scheme. 

These iconic buildings will create dramatic new contemporary arts spaces in the heart of the city. City Eye, the University of Southampton's John Hansard Gallery and a multi purpose performing arts centre with two flexible performance spaces will occupy the arts complex. This dynamic new mix of contemporary arts will draw significant new audiences into the area. Internationally acclaimed art exhibitions, inspirational and entertaining performing arts and outstanding resources for film-makers will all share this brand new facility and provide new creative opportunities for everyone across the city, the region and beyond. 

The nationally renowned John Hansard Gallery will open a new contemporary art gallery working closely with the City Art Gallery and others to develop internationally profiled visual arts. The John Hansard Gallery is part of the University of Southampton. 

City Eye is a community-focused video and film resource that provides unique opportunities for people across the region to become involved in the medium. City Eye's aim is to create an artistic hub based around film and video production. City Eye engages with the community, arts organisations, individuals, emerging and established talent. 

The New Arts Complex will form a major part of a new mixed use development on the eastern side of the Cultural Quarter and fronting onto Guildhall Square. The new developer, Grosvenor is a well respected leading international developer, investor and funder with extensive experience of town centre regeneration schemes both in the UK and worldwide. It has an excellent track record of developing difficult brownfield site projects (Festival Place, Basingstoke and Liverpool One for example). Grosvenor’s architects, CZWG are nationally known architects with a good track record in designing distinctive large mixed used developments.

The proposed Grosvenor scheme offers the same mix of uses as the previous City Lofts proposal but with significantly more jobs, provided through an enhanced commercial offer. The enhanced retail/restaurant offer at ground and mezzanine floors will draw significantly more footfall through the day and potentially into the evening bringing increased activity to the Square, the Arts Facilities, local traders and other cultural offers in the area (as well as improving public safety).