Two floors are still empty at The Public
Friday 26th February 2010, 11:30AM GMT.
Two floors at Black Country arts centre The Public are still empty almost two years after the venue opened its doors.
Business space on the second and fourth floors was being marketed when the building opened in June 2008.
Sandwell Council had planned for the centre to become a hub for creative businesses. However, just one firm has moved in since the opening date. The council has paid £1.4 million to have the 15,000 sq ft second floor converted into an area for arts workshops and the fourth floor fitted out.
The aim is to make the £72m centre in West Bromwich more attractive to potential tenants.
Work is due to be completed next month.
Fifteen ‘lily pad’ office spaces – pods measuring a total of 3,000 sq ft – are still empty and causing the council a major headache.
Sandwell Council has refused to say how much money it has spent on marketing the building to businesses.
It has also refused to comment on whether the management will be offering incentives to persuade companies to move in.
Councillor Bob Badham, Sandwell Council’s regeneration boss said: “The refit is progressing well and is expected to be completed by the end of March.
“We are in negotiation with various organisations about taking space at The Public.
“Obviously we have to take into account the economic climate and negotiations with individual potential tenants remain confidential at this stage,” he added.
“However, our aim remains to secure the best possible market value for the space.”
Major Key Studios, which operates music courses at the site, is currently the only company to move into the building in New Street, which is now being rented out for club nights.
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Try using the freedom of information act on Sandwell Council.. They have no choice but to give you the information you ask for. It’s public finance and they have no right to refuse.
This white elephant is still costing us money while Sandwell council are cutting back on wage rises and services and looking at reducing staff. Get rid of this place and use the money for better things.
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sorry mr jonb – but show me where it states Sandwell are cutting back on services and jobs.
I think you will find that it isnt and a total of 3000 jobs and 143million cut backs are being done by Conservative Councils neighbouring Sandwell’s borders…i think you read the headlines and not the details!
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Nope sorry read the headlines correctly. Sandwell looking into reducing 300 jobs and a wage freeze for 12 months. Carry on reading later posts and you will find out. theres a later article on it.Plus my relation works for them.
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A ‘Monstrous Carbuncle on the Face of an Old and Familiar Friend!’ – The View of The Old Bus Station was much better! – And I speak as both an Architect, and a native of West Bromwich!
Who would develop land in order to produce ‘Negative Equity and Revenue?’ West Bromwich, and Wolverhampton cannot even give Office Space for Free! – This has been the situation for more than 30 Years! – When will they ever learn? – Unless it is something connected with ‘Personal Interests!’ – Heaven Forbid my suggestion!
Sandwell Council is ‘Playing with Commercial Property Development!’ – In an area where this is not a viable entity! – It is therefore ‘Gambling’ with Rate Payers’ Money! – And has Lost! – ‘Big Style!’
Unfortunately, this whole argument goes back to Local Government Reform in 1973! – What is, Where is, and Who is, ‘Sandwell?’ In Local Authority Terms it has the same impact as ‘Belgium’ within the EU!
‘Nations Yawn!’
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I agree!
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I think being in West Bromwich has something to do with business’s not wanting to move in. Who wants to move into a town where traffic is constantly at gridlock.
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First time I’ve seen a picture of the building that’s big enough to show clearly the shape of the windows. They’re a stupid design. I wouldn’t want to put my company in such a Mickey Mouse looking building.
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Job Centre Plus, Temple or a Mosque all seem possible tennants, to serve the public of West Bromwich.
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Why blame the building for a lack of companies? The building is inanimate.
It’s the stupidity of people in West Bromwich that’s the problem, when they’re too dumb to start their own businesses that people should be angry about.
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You sound like your a real success Connor! You don’t say where it is you come from though.
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I was born – and have lived in – West Bromwich all my life, and this is the biggest insult to the West Bromwich community I have ever known. The amount of space that this monstrosity takes up alone – and subsequently wastes – is of grave concern, nevermind the millions that have been, and still are, ploughed into it when we do NOT need an arts centre. Swimming pool? Leisure centre? Cinema? Bowling alley? Entertainment complex or even some kind of learning institution, but this – this wart on our landscape – laughs in the face of local residents.
Shame on you Sandwell Council.
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Tell you what..make an exhibition of the propaganda that seems to be filling the air, during this election year. Include in that display works from Sandwell, Dudley and Wolverhampton Councils. Just today, we’re told about how Dudley is going to be “transformed” over the next 10 years, and how certain people would like to see it begin this year. Entitle this portrayal of shambolic administration, ‘Pull the Other One’. You’ll fill those two floors in no time.
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Agree with you on this one. How many times has the regeneration of Dudley been promised, and every time its fallen through. This latest idea is just another plan or proposal, no firm plans. Why build more car parks, there are hundreds of empty spaces in the town every day. Why spend thousands on anothor white elephant scheme. Use the money to scrap car parking charges in the town. It won’t save Dudley, but it may slow the decline.
Both the Merry Hill Centre and the Waterfront have empty units, despite being supposedly the busiest part of the Borough. Why would any supermarket want to move into Dudley? Don’t the council know the supermarkets want to move OUT of town not in?
Keep claiming the expenses, its all your good at Dudley councillors!
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Let’s also remember how much has been allocated towards this year’s St. George’s Day celebrations – an absolute pittance. Apparently, there’s no money left, you see. There was money, and there is money – it’s the way that money is managed that has created the problems. This building, this shockingly bad example of waste, is but one.
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Conner, there’s no shortage of self-employed people in West Bromwich, including the market traders and other independent retailers. They also pay taxes towards this expensive facility. In my opinion this building (and in particular it’s planning), are at fault. You say there’s people too dumb to start their own business in West Bromwich, too dumb to be clients? Well this building is apparently having trouble attracting anyone..even now.
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we the tax payers never asked for this monster to be built in the first place hang your heads in shame SMBC
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Council jobs axe ‘may be tip of iceberg’
A number of jobs are being axed at Sandwell Council with critics fearing the losses could be the “tip of the iceberg” in the financial crisis.
Three town managers and a community cohesion manager are to be sacked and replaced by just one new communities manager, it emerged today.
The trading standards team will also be reduced by a third, with two of six enforcement officers to go while three workers in the environmental health department, a safety and licensing worker and a customer support officer are also to be made redundant.
And
Council to axe jobs
More than 400 jobs could be shed at Sandwell Council as part of cost-cutting measures over the next three years, the Express & Star can reveal.
Full-time and part-time positions will be reduced across various council departments but finance chiefs have insisted there are no plans for compulsory redundancies with reductions expected to be achieved through “natural wastage”.
So phil , would you like to apologise now for accusing jonb of being wrong??
Jim of Bearwood
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Connor Davies says
“Why blame the building for a lack of companies? The building is inanimate”
“It’s the stupidity of people in West Bromwich that’s the problem, when they’re too dumb to start their own businesses that people should be angry about”
So its not Sandwell Labour Councillors fault that they are amateurs trying to do a professional job and failing miserably? Now we all know why the Public has been a disaster, thank you for enlightening us
Jim of Bearwood
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It’s be interesting to hear from councillor Shackleton, she’s a strong advocate of the public, and is now apparently involved with the new managament of it, probably claiming her associated expenses, yet we never hear a peep out of her.
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“The trading standards team will also be reduced by a third… three workers in the environmental health department…are also to be made redundant.”
What?! if any area needed more thrading standards and environmental health officers it was this one! Are they scared they’ll go looking into the public?
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Go in and have a look round it’s amazing!
BUT ….. not where it is!
West Brom errrrr….
authorities need to concentrate on filling empty shops and businesses before people will be in the mood to appreciate a gallery.
If you put this building in Merry Hill or Birmingham it would be a lot happier
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