Derby's market hall reopens after seven-year multi-million-pound renovation
Hundreds turned out to see Derby's new Market Hall, Mark Gough reports
Derby's Market Hall has reopened after a seven-year £3.5-million renovation.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Saturday morning (May 24th) - almost 159 years to the day since its original grand opening.
Hundreds of people were seen queuing outside waiting to get inside the Grade II listed building.
The Market Hall was officially declared open on 29 May, 1866 by Mayor Frederick Longdon, where the occasion was marked with an appropriate inaugural ceremony, including a performance of Handel's Messiah.
The council said the transformed Market Hall will bring together the best of the region's independent shopping, eating, drinking, and entertainment, and will offer a variety of new features and experiences for visitors, such as:
Stallholders were setting up for the first week of trading, which began today (May 26th).
Previously, the Market Hall often had to close to customers if there was a chance of strong winds, snow, or heavy rain in case the glass windows came out of their frames.
These windows have now been replaced, and the extensive structural restoration of the roof was finished in August 2022.
The revitalised Market Hall has also been redesigned with accessibility and inclusion at its heart, making it an accessible building for all visitors.
Leader of Derby City Council and Cabinet Member for City Centre, Regeneration, Strategy and Policy, Councillor Nadine Peatfield, said: "This is a historic moment for everyone in the city to be celebrated by all.
"Derby Market Hall will be a flagship, vibrant destination that will attract visitors from across the region and beyond. I am truly excited for the opening event, and I know that visitors will enjoy everything that the revitalised Market Hall has to offer.
Located at the heart of the city centre, linking Derbion and St Peter's Quarter with the Cathedral Quarter and Becketwell, the redeveloped Market Hall will play a key role in widening the diversity of the city centre and is expected to generate £3.64m for the local economy every year. "
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