The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is pleased to have supported Hastings Commons with £850,000 of Heritage Impact Fund loan investment towards the first phase of the Observer Building project.
Built in 1924, the former HQ and printworks of the Hastings and St Leonards Observer closed in 1984 and had become increasingly derelict over time; it was considered a building at risk within Hastings Central Conservation Area. Designed by local architect, Henry Ward, it has a grand façade and reinforced concrete frame design and comprises approximately 4,000 sqm. of former industrial floor space over seven floors. The landmark building was identified as a target for investment and regeneration within the Historic England Hastings High Street Heritage Action Zone.
Hastings Commons, a community-led regeneration organisation and one of the AHF’s Heritage Development Trusts, purchased the Observer Building in 2019. Now, through a major renovation and re-purposing project, it is working towards creating workspace for local enterprises and start-ups within the building, with opportunities for up to 300 jobs locally and new affordable homes for the community. This will make a significant contribution to the local social and economic regeneration of the town. The building is launching in phases, with some areas already reopened as affordable workspace, a 250-capacity events venue, a gym, and OBX – a creative technology hub.
Images: Hot desking (credit - Jonny Thompson) and co-working space (credit - Rachel Manns) at the Observer Building in Hastings.
AHF loan investment from the Heritage Impact Fund supported project management costs and urgent capital works to the roof and guttering, allowing the first tenants to move into the building. This investment formed part of a package of funding from Hastings Borough Council, South East LEP, Town Deal, Big Issue Invest, Ecology Building Society, and Historic England, as well as private investment, which will help to bring the building back into full use.
Images: Events space at the Observer Building in Hastings. Credit - Alice Denny.
Thanks to the organisation’s fundraising efforts, Hastings Commons has now been able to repay the AHF loan investment in full, and works to the building are currently moving into their next phase, with the creation of an accessible, multi-purpose space on the roof terrace and the redevelopment of the vaults space. Further phases of work supported by Hastings Borough Council and Homes England will see the development of 12 energy-efficient and affordable homes on the second and third floors of the building.
Matthew Mckeague, CEO of the AHF, said: “We are very pleased that our loan investment has played a part in bringing this landmark building in Hastings back into use as a vibrant and important resource for the local community, creating new jobs and contributing to the wider social and economic regeneration of the town. We look forward to seeing how the next phase of this fantastic project develops.”
Jess Steele, CEO and Commoner-at-Large for Hastings Commons Community Land Trust, said: “In a complex, multi-funder project, having AHF’s support and loan funding from the Heritage Impact Fund has been invaluable. It helped see us through the most difficult period of restoration from abject dereliction to the lively building the OB is today, and set the foundations for the next phase, which is now underway.”
The Observer Building project was recently featured as a case study demonstrating the impact of historic building re-use on the local creative economy in Historic England’s Cultural Heritage, Creativity and the Creative Economy research. Read more: https://historicengland.org.uk/research/heritage-counts/heritage-and-economy/creative-economy/
For further information about Hastings Commons, please visit: Hastings Commons – Taking Action For The Common Good
