On Friday 1st March, Great Grimsby Ice Factory Trust will be holding a public consultation on the results of the Options Appraisal on the future of the Grimsby Ice Factory. The Options Appraisal has looked at all possible uses for the Grade II* listed building, and whether they might be successful.
The Consultation will take place in the Bremerhaven Room at Grimsby Town Hall, beginning with a drop in session from 2.30 p.m and a formal presentation at 7.p.m. This is an opportunity to come and have your say about the future of this hugely important building, and see what new facilities and opportunities this project will bring to the local community. Everyone is invited to come and view concept plans for an exciting mix of new uses for the building, to include heritage interpretation, an art gallery, climbing wall, professional print studio, events and meeting rooms, cinema, cafe, and micro-brewery. People’s feedback, comments and questions will be listened to, and will be incorporated into the final report.
The Grimsby Ice Factory was once the largest ice factory in the world, and helped to make Grimsby the busiest fishing port in the world. It is the only known ice factory of its period still containing most of its machinery, and as such is a unique representation of the early years of refrigeration technology, on which much of our modern life relies. A Grade II* listed building, it is not only symbolic of Grimsby’s great achievements in the last century, it is of unique importance to the nation.
Supported throughout by national charity, The Prince’s Regeneration Trust, GGIFT worked with architects Purcell and market researchers Bell Business Development to find a sustainable way to save the building. Not least of the challenges facing the professional team was the machinery itself, some of which occupies large areas of the building, and has been a bar to other proposals in the past. But the final concept manages to preserve the building and machinery so that the ice-making process will be understandable from beginning to end. It will provide public access 365 days of the year, jobs, educational and cultural opportunities, leisure activities, and a focus for regeneration in the area. The project is estimated to be self-supporting from year one.
GGIFT is very proud to have arrived at a viable plan, which promises to preserve this important heritage building at the same time as bringing new opportunities to the people of Grimsby. We look forward to sharing the plans on Friday.