By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter
Gloucester’s regeneration focus will now shift to other city centre landmarks as the £115m Forum development has been officially opened.
The prominent building off Station Road houses a four-star hotel, a 399-space multi-storey car park and more than 106,000 square feet of office space.
Developers, city chiefs and many others involved in the project’s delivery attended the official ribbon cutting ceremony at the Forum on Friday, May 15.
Gloucester City Council’s Liberal Democrat leader Jeremy Hilton said their flagship scheme has helped “regenerate the King’s Quarter of the city”.
He sees it as a 21st century landmark for Gloucester which is a “superb facility” that will be there for many decades to come.
“It’s an iconic building,” he said. “I think it’s one that is going to be a landmark in the city of Gloucester.”
Around 1,000 people are expected to work at The Forum, he added.
And he believes it will have a positive “knock-on effect” on nearby Kings Square and help the council in its aims to fill the empty shops in the area.
“We’ve already seen Coro Lounge open up last week,” Cllr Hilton.
“One of the reasons why they came to Gloucester is because of the Forum development and the amount of business they are going to attract from people working or visiting here.
“We are hoping to find a few more restaurateurs to open up in the Kings Square area.”
The council’s former Conservative leader Richard Cook, who was instrumental in bringing the project forward, is equally delighted to see the Forum is officially open.
“The only thing we are waiting for is the full occupation and I understand they are working hard towards finding new organisations to occupy this area,” he told Gloucestershire Live.
“Once that is done, I see this as being a central part of Gloucester and a hugely important part of the city which will bring in more and more people into Kings Square and the surrounding areas.
“We’ve already got the university just across Kings Square which has brought in hundreds of students and maybe more to come in future years.”
Speaking after the event, Cllr Hilton said the next target is to secure more tenants for the Forum.
But the council’s regeneration focus will be on areas such as the new indoor market at Eastgate Shopping Centre.
This is part of the Greyfriars redevelopment and is described as “the next big job” by Cllr Hilton.
“Most of the units have now been vacated and people can see a lot of gutting is taking place on the outside,” he said.
He said securing funding for the redevelopment of Baker’s Quay will allow that project to go forward.
And the sale of the former council offices at Herbert, Kimberley and Phillpotts warehouses will allow that site to be redeveloped too.
The council still has a long-term ambition to redevelop the former Fleece Hotel. But Cllr Hilton sees that as “one of the most difficult sites”.
“The building has been made secure,” he said. “And a lot of repair work has been undertaken to protect the structure of the historic inn.
“We’ve got to find the funding and the partners to progress that one. It’s got negative equity, and that’s the problem.”
He said the council is also working on a masterplan for the city to work out what different sites can be used for.
And several of those buildings often described as eyesores can can be seen from the new rooftop bar at the top of The Forum.
“There’ll be further regeneration in and around King Square.
“The City Council owns a lot of property around there, we’re hoping that with the Forum open, the hotel open, Coro Lounge in there that we should see some further, quality tenants coming into other units around there.”
He said Spread Eagle Court, which remains in private ownership, will be a difficult site to redevelop.
“The council hasn’t got the cash in the bank to do anything with it, but we’ve secured the building,” he said.
“We’re going to have a special meeting to just look at some of these difficult projects and see what we can, and can’t do.
“Station Hotel, [and Spread Eagle Court are] the two sites near the Forum that really need projects and working capital to restore and make proper use of.”