Walsall Council and non-profit CIC Urban Hax are transforming the vacant Guildhall in the town centre, along with a neighbouring former police station and ancillary buildings into the Creative Industries Enterprise Centre.
The aspiration is to provide a café, gallery space, conference facilities and areas for machinery that will be available for use by local makers and creative industries.
The Guildhall, at the top of the High Street at the junction with Goodall Street, was last used as Sofia’s Italian Restaurant but has been closed for a number of years.
Both the building and the former police station are grade II listed and developers said feedback has shown people are happy to see them coming back into use.
Around £5.5 million funding has been secured from the Arts Council and the Department of Culture Media and Sport to deliver the scheme with work being carried out to secure…