The last of the old Circus Street market’s tenants has now moved out, clearing the way for it to be knocked down and replaced with blocks of student homes.
The Wood Store closed its Circus Street doors for the last time on Saturday (1 August) but will be opening new premises at the old Territorial Army (TA) building at Preston Barracks this Saturday (8 August). Its new Elder Place shop is already open.
In recent months two other temporary tenants, the Brighton Bike Hub and the Brighton Freegle depot, have also left the site.
This now means that work to prepare the old market for demolition can begin, ready for it to be knocked down over the summer ready for work on a library, dance studio, shops, restaurants and student housing to start next year.
The TA building has been empty for 10 years but is now part of a temporary project, Field, which will see the site used by short-term tenants before the site is redeveloped.
The Circus Street developers, Cathedral Group, are also behind the Preston Barracks site redevelopment, which will also see it working with Brighton University to build housing for 1,300 students, 350 homes, shops and a high-tech research centre and “business incubator”.
Brighton and Hove City Council sold the site to Cathedral and Brighton University last year after the government announced £7.7 million of funding for the £150 million project.
The Wood Store will relocate its shop and timber yard in part of the vast ex-TA building, which it says offers plenty of scope for a huge display of the wide array of reusable recycled timber
A showroom will be filled with examples of bespoke tables and benches, shelving and storage units and an outdoor space will showcase garden furniture and planters.
