Three years since fire destroyed Derby's Assembly Rooms

It's three years since a fire broke out at 17:00 on Friday 14 March 2014 at Derby's Assembly Rooms.

The fire was in the building’s electrical room located on the roof of the car park.

But what is happening with the building?

The council says these things never happen fast - and they were torn for a while between rebuilding the old venue, or starting from scratch, as well as facing funding cuts and insurance delays.

The cost to re-open was between £7.4 and £13m and that would still require an ongoing annual subsidy and maintenance cost of about £750,000.

Reconstruction was £25m for a purpose-built venue that could accommodate more shows and people than the current building.

Consultants said,

“There were two clear options that were deliverable on the site – one was a Music and Performance Venue that would accommodate about 3,000 while the other was a hybrid option that could accommodate about 2,800 for music and performances and then convert to a full theatre with a capacity of about 1,600,”

Reports are now being read and they will soon be put to Cabinet.

The council say a new Music and Performance Venue could be opened in summer 2021.