Making the Most of Vacant Shops
Empty shops and the have been causing a stir in the media and within government and property circles for some time.
Wolverhampton City Centre Company has been actively working for months with property agents, owners and interested parties on finding alternative uses for empty shops.
The situation was eased in late August when a grant was made available for just over £52,000 to the City Council by the Department of Communities and Local Government under the Empty Shops Initiative.
Kim Gilmour, City Centre Manager said: “The funding has come at just the right time there are around 100 empty units in the city centre, although a third are connected to the Summer Row development that still gives a vacancy rate slightly above the national average.”
WCCC has developed a comprehensive database of both vacant units and interested parties along with a nine point Vacant Unit Strategy.
WCCC has worked closely with the Mander and Wulfrun centres and encouraged them to use empty shops to display goods from other retailers and to collaborate with the University of Wolverhampton, Art Gallery and City of Wolverhampton College to showcase work of students and artists.
“The DCLG funding should make it easier to initiate a number of key projects such as a contemporary art gallery; a retail unit for fashion students to sell their merchandise and a number of initiatives with the University of Wolverhampton.
“We are also looking at putting graphics on some of the large units which we cannot access such as Woolworths, these will be used to promote the city centre attractions and encourage footfall.” Said Kim Gilmour
