The site of an Odeon cinema will be transformed into a new community hub and aparthotel, under council plans set to be discussed later this month.
The city council has set out a £37 million proposal which outlines plans to convert the site of the Odeon cinema into a new community space and hotel rooms.
Odeon cinema’s lease on 38-40 George Street will run out in September 2024 and since September 2022 the council has been carrying out a procurement exercise.
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Under the plans, the building would be demolished and redeveloped, with a community space on the ground floor and an aparthotel on the upper five floors.
Deputy leader of the city council, Ed Turner, said: “This is a once in a generation redevelopment of one of Oxford city centre’s iconic buildings.
“We are extremely excited to see the building transformed to provide a new community hub in the heart of Oxford city centre.
“It is unfortunate that Odeon has announced the closure of their cinema in Magdalen Street, and we hope they may reconsider this decision.
“The aparthotel will also encourage more overnight stays in Oxford city centre, providing a significant boost to hospitality businesses, particularly George Street’s theatres, restaurants and bars.
"It will provide valuable income to support frontline services such as youth workers and grants to voluntary sector organisations.”
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If the cabinet approves the proposal, the new contract and lease could be signed in August or September.
The cabinet is expected to meet on July 12 to discuss the proposal at length.
The council aims to secure planning permission for the new building by the summer of 2024.
The demolition and construction would take at least three years, with the aparthotel and centre only likely to open in 2027.
Odeon was encouraged to engage with the procurement process, but the cinema operator did not submit a proposal.
Odeon has announced it will close its cinema in Magdalen Street, meaning both Odeon cinemas in Oxford are set to close their doors.
The aparthotel will feature around 145 rooms, and these will be built on the upper five stories of the building, with a reception on the ground floor, including a bar and café.
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The aparthotel rooms are different from those at a normal hotel as they offer furnished apartments, with an en-suite kitchen featuring a cooker and fridge.
Most visitors to Oxford do not visit overnight according to Experience Oxfordshire’s 2015 report, with only 17 per cent of the roughly 6.6 million people who visit the city each year choosing to stay overnight.
The new operator of the building will be given a 40-year lease on the building.
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To sign up to Ed's weekly Politics newsletter, click here: https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/newsletters/
Ed specialises in writing political stories for the Oxford Mail and The Oxford Times.
He joined in the team in February 2023, after completing a History undergraduate degree at the University of York and studying for his NCTJ diploma in London.
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