Wolverhampton Rackhams site gets new lease of life
The former Rackhams department store will be bulldozed in Wolverhampton to make way for new city centre parking.
The landmark building, which used to also house Netto and offices above, will be pulled down and the site cleared to extend the current pay-and-display car park in Snow Hill by an extra 65 spaces.
It comes as part of plans to regenerate the Summer Row area of the city centre, which has been in limbo ever since a £300 million shopping centre project was dramatically scrapped in 2011.
The council wants to clear up the area and attract new investment.
And in a planning report, the authority said the demolition of the building was the way to go as it did not make economic sense to try and repair it.
It is hoped the demolition will also reduce the risk of theft, vandalism and rough sleeping. A new height barrier will also be installed at the main entrance, which will remove the risk of travellers setting up camp.
The planning documents reads: "The scheme will remove a large vacant dilapidated property from within the city centre with its associated risks and provide 65 additional public parking spaces.
"This is seen as a medium-term use for what would otherwise be a vacant city centre plot while the future of the south side of the city is being decided."
The car park will be accessed from the existing council-owned Temple Street car park.
The Rackhams store closed in 1992 and Netto shut its doors in 2009. The building also used to house the city's archives and local studies service.
It is also planned to spruce up Cleveland Street and its surrounding roads to make the area as attractive as possible.
City assets boss, Councillor Peter Bilson has described the site as a 'key area' and has said he hopes it will will encourage people to come forward.
The council acquired the building from Multi, the developers behind the Summer Row plan. In 2011, it was revealed taxpayers forked out £50,000 to bring the building back up to standard.
The Summer Row project was more than six years in the making and had hoped to be a shopping and leisure complex that would rival Merry Hill in Dudley.
The 600,000 sq ft centre would have been anchored by Debenhams and Marks & Spencer as well as boasting restaurants and a bowling alley.
However, a funding deal for half the cash with a consortium of three Northern Irish businessmen collapsed in December 2008 and then developer Multi UK failed to find a new backer.
