Gloucester's former Debenhams store in Kings Square "will not be a university ivory tower" as it prepares to launch next week in its fresh incarnation as an educational, cultural and community facility.
The University of Gloucestershire premises has been reimagined as a "vibrant new hub in the heart of the city".
The site now houses the university's teacher training, psychology and social work courses.
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It's scheduled to welcome the public from Monday, August 18.
The 20,000m2 landmark will feature communal public amenities including a brand-new public library and an innovative arts, health and wellbeing centre developed in partnership with Gloucestershire NHS Integrated Care Board.
Vice-chancellor Clare Marchant expressed her enthusiasm about the campus launch, highlighting that it has already delivered social value worth £22.95m through job creation and forging fresh partnerships with businesses and charitable organisations.
"It will be wonderful to see families and business people using this brilliant study space," she said.
"Also with the library opening next month and then 1,200 students and staff being welcomed through the course of late August and into September. Really excited to share the new, really modern, teaching and research facilities."
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Hannah Gorf, healthy communities and individuals programme manager at Gloucestershire ICB, said the site would be important for the NHS and research will be done at its hub for social prescribing. The concept centres on the facility expanding research into pioneering treatments and interventions designed to enhance community health and wellbeing.
Richard Fielding, regional director for Morgan Sindall Construction in the Midlands, who has been engaged with the scheme for over three and a half years, said it was lovely to preserve the building's heritage.
"It is turning a retail facility, the ex-Debenhams, into a higher education facility," he said.
"It's quite unique actually if you look at the way city centres work now how people's spending habits have changed, I think there is a real future to putting higher education buildings in the city centre.
"It's lovely to keep the heritage of the building and its Art Deco. Outside it looks very similar to how it used to be.
"People want to learn and live in the same space so that's really exciting. They've been really brave in a challenging part of Gloucester city centre to grasp the nettle and get involved with it.
"It's a catalyst for the redevelopment of the city to join up with the Docks which will be great for Gloucester in the future."
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A crucial component of the structure will house the library facility, complete with its own designated laboratory space.
Patsy To, chief of libraries at Gloucestershire County Council, said: "It is within a space perfect for a lab which is visibly accessible for people to see what it looks like and what's on offer.
"So people interested can see what is on offer and then take the next step of using it and speaking with the lab technicians. It can also be closed off if it is being used by groups that need that space."
The existing library in Brunswick Road will shut for a fortnight during autumn whilst relocating to the City Campus building.
"There are many libraries people can use with their library card during the closure at Hucclecote or Quedgeley," Patsy said.
County Council deputy leader Colin Hay (LD, All Saints and Oakley) emphasised the significance of having both a library and public access within the university environment.
The authority has secured a 25-year lease for the premises.
"It's relatively safe – 25 years is a good time to see how it works," he said.
"It's a rendezvous place. You're mixing with students, people feel better when they are mixing with a lot of different people."
Gloucester City Council leader Jeremy Hilton (LD, Kingsholm and Wotton) highlighted how Debenhams' departure could have left the building vacant for years, leading to deterioration.
He commended the university's acquisition and redevelopment of the site, praising their excellent work.
"Everybody has been supportive of the university campus and what they have done to the building is admirable," he said. "It's a really good restoration. It's going to be a modern facility."
He noted that the additional student footfall would significantly benefit Gloucester's vitality and city centre commerce. "Having this here, with the developments at The Forum is going to help tremendously," he added.
"Some of our nearby empty shop units are more likely to be taken up by entrepreneurs wanting to open a business as they will know they will have the people in the locality as customers. That is going to be beneficial."