Chambers plans uncertain

Press, 26 November 1982, Page 6

Chambers plans uncertain

Plans/for redevelopment; of the Old -Civic Chambers' building/./ id Manchester Street are still uncertain. Mr Kent Prier, of Kent Prier Real Estate,. Ltd, the agency handling - the property, said that the theatre section might be sold and the .body of the building converted to offices .and shops. He- had been approached by a person interested in buying the theatre, he said, but the deal had fallen through because of lack of finance. /• • , ■. ' The. theatre would have to be registered, under a separate title, an expensive proce-

; . dure, Mr Prier said? In the meantime, the Salvation Army was leasing the theatre pending completion of its new citadel in Victoria Street. , Mr Prier said that the j property’s owner, who pre- ' ferred not be named, was .. discussing with developers the idea of establishing an office complex on the second floor similar to that in the old Public Library. . The Civic Chambers building, commercially zoned, lent itself to that kind of project. Mr Prier said that his company still sought to lease

space oh the ground floor to retailers, and plans were afoot to build a shopping, arcade at street level. Earlier proposals to establish a restaurant" and an antique centre in the complex had been scrapped. ihe owner of the “Jail" steakhouse, Mr Alan Hargen, had intended to restore the rooms on the top floor and open an Edwardian - style family restaurant but abandoned the idea. The proposal for an antiques centre was dropped because of lack of interest from arts and curio dealers.