People in Nottingham city centre have had their say on what they think should be done with the vacant Debenhams building amid talks over its future. A new investment management company has recently taken on the building on behalf of Long Row Properties Limited, a company based in Jersey which has owned the site since 2017.
And Longmead Capital confirmed last week that it has approached Nottingham City Council to discuss future proposals for the former Debenhams building. Conservationists have called for progress at the site but details over what could be done with the Grade II listed building in Long Row remain scant. When asking people in the city what they wished for, Nottinghamshire Live received a mix of answers.
Richard Wood, from Long Eaton, said he thought it should become an affordable hotel. "It needs a lot of thought going into it, a hotel would be nice or something of that nature," he said.
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"A mid range hotel, nothing too expensive. The only problem would be parking. There should be a restaurant and retail space, with a hotel above it." Ranjith Kollau, a 39-year-old delivery driver, had a similar idea.
He added: "It should be a restaurant or a shopping mall, one with a lot of clothes shops. There should be lots of little shops, if it opens it will be good for employment."
Lauren Higginbotham, a student in the city, said it should be turned into a Selfridges. "I reckon that would be nice, some sort of big store," she said. "Either that or lots of different shops."
A spokesperson for Longmead Capital said: "Longmead Capital, the investment managers for the former Debenhams building in Nottingham, have approached the council to discuss potential future proposals for the property. The discussions are at an early stage but given the scale and sensitive nature of the site the process is likely to be lengthy, however the owners and council are keen for the process to involve public consultation once initial thoughts have been developed."
Debenhams entered administration in April 2019 and, after attempts to find a buyer failed, the 240-year-old retailer went into liquidation. The Boohoo Group saved the assets and brand, but the move to online-only meant that Nottingham's store closed in May 2021.
What do you think should be done with the building? Let us know in the comments.
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