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Turner Contemporary has been offered a temporary base in Margate town centre by Thanet District Council (TDC) and the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA) ahead of the proposed £17.4 million art gallery.
Turner Contemporary will move into the former Marks and Spencer building in Margate town centre in February 2008. It will be called Turner Contemporary Project Space and use to present a wide range of exhibitions and events.
It is hoped the first exhibition will be open at the end of February and that the space will then be open to the public six days a week (Tuesdays to Sundays) from 10am until 5pm.
Through the work of the Margate Renewal Partnership, SEEDA, TDC, Kent County Council (KCC) and other key partners are seeking to redevelop Margate town centre and provide significant new opportunities for local people and bring new investment into the retail and cultural offer of the town.
The Old Town will be at the heart of the creative quarter, complementing and extending the main town centre creating a distinct and vibrant area offering independent and specialised retail, a variety of food, drink and cultural businesses. The area is already home to galleries, workspaces, residential studios and new commercial facilities such as the former Lloyds Bank building which is now the Margate Media Centre, providing accommodation and facilities for creative businesses.
The Partnership is currently seeking a development partner to bring forward two strategic sites extending to approximately 1.77 acres between Market Street, High Street, Queen Street and Cecil Square. There is a possibility the site are could be extended should a suitable proposal be put forward. Plans should complement the historic and architectural qualities of the area and maximise the opportunities offered by the emerging Creative Quarter in adjacent Old Town.
A shortlist of developers who will be invited to make detailed proposals is expected to be announced in the course of next year, from which a preferred developer will eventually be chosen.
Turner Contemporary's occupation of the Marks and Spencer building will be reviewed in June 2009 in light if the timescale for the long-term development.
(JM)
