Former nightclub set to be hub for tech and creative industries
PLANS for a new hi-tech hub on the site of a former Swansea nightclub have been lodged.
Swansea Council has put in a planning application looking to construct a facility on the site of Kingsway’s former Oceana nightclub to allow tech and creative businesses to grow.
The building, which has a working title of “71 and 72 Kingsway”, would have a glass-fronted structure and rise six storeys on the site, with the capacity for more than 600 people to work there.
Assisted by feedback in a public consultation last year and further feedback this year, the plans feature two underground levels and a roof terrace with trees.
Other greenery, including a green roof, is part of the plans for the building, which the authority says reflects its commitment to green infrastructure.
The building promises to be hi-tech, eco-friendly and have flexible open-plan work spaces including balconies overlooking the city centre. It includes a new link from Oxford Street onto The Kingsway.
Council leader Rob Stewart said: “We thank the public and business for their input so far – it has been invaluable. The plans they’ve influenced so much will now go through the formal planning process.
“71 and 72 Kingsway will cater for new and existing digital businesses, bringing them together in an ultramodern flexible workspace environment, generating new jobs and vitality for the city centre.
“We’re talking to high-profile potential occupiers already and are confident of demand.”
Oceana had been the gathering place for groups of friends for generations. It was a focal point for nightlife in Swansea and was a place many couples met.
It had been a place of entertainment ever since it was occupied by the Plaza, which opened on The Kingsway in 1931. At the time it was the largest cinema in Wales, seating 3,000. In 1967 it was rebuilt as the smaller Odeon.
The venue was then known as Top Rank before becoming Ritzy and Icon in the 1990s and later Time and Envy. It closed in 2008 for a £6m refurbishment and opened up with an extra five theme bars, making it the biggest Oceana in Wales and one of the largest in the UK.
It had the slogan “the world in one night” due to the varied rooms you could choose from, all with different music styles.
The most popular rooms were the Ice House, which played all the latest dance music to people enjoying a night on its massive dance floor, whilst the Disco room next door was enjoyed by people who enjoyed indie, pop and disco music.
However, in May 2014, it was said the closure of a number of pubs and clubs in the area left it isolated with much of the city’s night life becoming centred on Wind Street.
A spokeswoman for the club said at the time it had not been an easy decision, but its location at the end of The Kingsway had proved too much of a challenge to attract the necessary footfall.
The new building is one of Swansea’s major regeneration projects now underway and will stand close to the planned new Biophilic Living, an eco-friendly building with homes and commercial space being driven by Wales-based Hacer – if that goes ahead.
The building’s own environmentally-friendly elements aim to include sustainable drainage and a green wall.
The development, formerly known as the Digital Village, forms part of the Swansea City and Waterfront Digital District project being part-funded by the £1.3bn Swansea Bay City Deal.
Other features of the project include the indoor arena adjacent to the LC, as well as a box village and innovation precinct development for start-up businesses at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David SA1.
The first £18m of City Deal funding has now been released by the UK Government and Welsh Government, based on the approval of two projects including the Swansea City and Waterfront Digital District.
Robert Francis-Davies, the council’s cabinet member for investment, regeneration and tourism, said: “71 and 72 Kingsway will be an incredible facility, a beacon for those working in the digital industries and educational sectors.
“It will attract leaders and innovators in those professional worlds to its collaborative and traditional working environments. There will be high quality digital connectivity along with accessible spaces for events and complementary work activities.
“It will be a focal point for local people to visit and enjoy, with cultural activities and potential for an exciting food and drink offer.
“I encourage people to be involved in this site’s exciting future. Many already have fond memories of the site’s previous uses as a cinema and club.”
The public has been given another chance to comment on the plans, by visiting the following website here .
It is due to be discussed by planning councillors in early summer, and if planning permission is granted, construction could start early next year with it opening in late 2022.