Mansfield District Council has unveiled its £25.75m to transform the town's former Beales department stores building into a new multi-agency civic club. On Thursday, July 21, The Mansfield Connect Scheme was presented to strategic, community and business leaders on the Mansfield Place Board.
This project forms a key part of the council's plan to regenerate the town centre and its £20m bid to the Government's Levelling Up Fund. Mansfield has been ranked at level one out of three, putting it amongst the areas with the greatest need for economic recovery, regeneration and growth, and improved transport and connectivity.
The landmark 1930s building is set to be modernised and extended so that a new headquarters for the council can be created, as well as space to house various other public, educational, enterprise, health and wellbeing services. There will also be spaces for private sector investment.
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Mansfield Connect is expected to improve the coordination and delivery of public services and generate extra footfall in the town centre. It is also hoped that it will act as a catalyst for wider development and help the town's day and nighttime economy. Executive Mayor Andy Abrahams said: "If our bid to the Levelling Up Fund is successful, this scheme will offer a once-in-a-generation opportunity to develop new solutions to the challenges facing the town and district.
"Repurposing this landmark building will act as a kind of renaissance by bringing to life a new integrated space, which will then stimulate the local economy and encourage private sector investment. This really would be levelling up in action and it would also be a boost to the delivery of public services by consolidating them into one town centre space."
So far multiple organisations have expressed an interest in being involved in the new hub, including the Department for Work and Pensions, Nottinghamshire County Council, Vision West Nottinghamshire College, Nottingham Trent University, NHS health partners, and volunteer co-ordinator CVS. The council's submission is MP-backed and will be submitted to the Levelling Up Fund before the second round of deadline on August 2, 2022.
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