Former Canal Club becomes kitchen showroom

The business has taken over the ground floor of the old Canal Club in Broad Street.

Efforts to find a suitable tenant were hampered by a tragedy in July 2012 when 23-year-old Tom Kirwan was stabbed nearby.

He died later in hospital. He had been in the club earlier in the evening. No-one has stood before a court charged with Mr Kirwan’s murder although five people were locked up for taking part in trouble in 2014 after being found guilty of affray after a trial.

Martin Zaki, of chartered surveyors Towler Shaw Roberts, said: “It is good to see this iconic building brought back into full use.

“It has suffered from a bad reputation since its time as a nightclub which meant it could not realistically be used for that purpose again.

“A number of restaurants have shown an interest in the building over the years but the building’s supporting pillars would have proved a problem with table lay-outs.We’re delighted that it is now being used as a kitchen showroom which is ideal for what is quite a large space.

“It is one of only a few non-food retailers within the city centre rather than on the other side of the ring road. It’s a great location, particularly in view of the regeneration planned for the canalside area.” Planning chiefs at Wolverhampton council approved the application for The Boatyard, as it was latterly known, last October. New tenants Future Kitchen Designs had hoped to start trading before Christmas but a number of minor alterations to the interior had to be carried out before the business could open its doors to the public. At one time a church had expressed an interest in moving into the Grade II-listed building. The first floor is leased out as a hot yoga venue.

The new showroom has created the equivalent of six full-time jobs.