Work on a new community hub on the site of the former Calverts Tavern and Spiders Niteclub on Scotch Street in Armagh is now expected to begin later this year – with the last piece of the jigsaw now falling neatly into place.
And Pastor Darryl Bain, of Vibe Church, told Armagh I : “It’s been a long road but we’re finally here.”
The latest phase of the ambitious overall project has been approved with a two-storey extension and retail development on Little Barrack Street on the cards.
The works will see the demolition of vacant garages.
And as our exclusive pictures of what will be built show, it will allow for a new retail unit to be constructed at ground floor level, with an extension to the existing church at first floor, allowing for an improved main auditorium.
It’s not known at this stage if the retail unit will be let out to help bring in income for the church, a registered charity, or used by Vibe for its ongoing activities, including the BriteBox scheme, which supports families through a free weekly meal kit.
This latest planning success comes just over two years after Vibe was given the green light to demolish the derelict licensed premises adjoining Scotch Street, in order to build its new community hub. That itself came after a five-year planning process.
Now it should be full steam ahead and Darryl is understandably delighted by developments.
He said: “We’re so excited that planning permission is now fully approved.
“We’re now looking ahead with faith and expectation as we prepare to begin the next phase of Project Possible later this year.
“This phase will include expanding our café with a brand new kids’ play zone, installing an industrial kitchen, enlarging our upstairs auditorium space and constructing a new retail unit.
“We love Armagh and the amazing people of this city. We praise God for His faithfulness and once again we’ve seen that nothing is impossible when you believe.”
Darryl now hopes work can proceed as soon as possible as enhanced facilities means a greater impact for Armagh and its people.
“We’re deeply, deeply excited and just taking it all in now because it’s been a long journey – seven years for the first part of our mission and then another 18 months to get this one,” he explained.
“Even the simple things, like the new kitchen space, will make an impact. At the moment we’ve barely got a kitchen – you wouldn’t even call it a kitchen! It has a microwave, a bit of an oven that half works that we can’t really use, so the most we can do is a cup of tea, maybe do some soup, make a sandwich, that type of thing.
“But this new industrial kitchen that we’re aiming for and planning for, and believing for, even that alone will allow us to take our BriteBox scheme to the next level, will allow us to take our cafe to the next level.
“We love to help people when they’re in need. Even the cafe at the moment’s completely donation-based, so anybody that’s struggling, we give it to them for free, we make stuff up whatever they need. The more facilities means we can be a greater blessing and our dream ultimately is to become that community centre that our town needs for everyone.”
The position of the new development is also of great importance.
A design and access statement, submitted at the time, described Little Barrack Street – on to which the front elevation faces – as “an important link to the Mall”. It was “therefore important treatment is necessary with regards to this elevation of the existing building”.
The design statement adds: “The two existing buildings have now lay vacant and derelict for approximately the past 10 years but will become viable and sustainable if integrated into the church property.
“The revised proposals include retention of approved retail unit at ground floor, but new connection through at first floor, to create an improved layout for the main auditorium for the existing church .This will comprise of the demolition of the existing buildings which currently occupy the adjacent site at 1 Little Barrack Street, Armagh.
“Overall this ties in with the provision of a new cross-community hub, offices, shop units as well as an extension to the existing church building which currently occupies part of the site.”
The proposal forms “part of a larger mixed use development which will help to regenerate the area as well as complement the existing facilities present”.
Vibe Church already occupies the existing building which fronts onto Little Barrack Street.
And the statement explains: “This is really the heart of the proposal – the community church facility. This will be extended into the rear of the site.
“As noted, it is not intended to increase the numbers for the auditorium approved in the current planning but improve the layout.
“It is proposed that alterations to the elevation of this existing building facing onto Little Barrack Street will allow the building to become more of an entity and create vibrancy and regeneration to what is an important link-way to the Mall.
“The other multi-use facilities within the proposal will be community facilities which, it is hoped, due to its location, will attract all members of society.
“A wide range of community facilities will be incorporated, mother and baby groups in the mornings, through to youth evening groups.
“It is intended that the proposal will allow the building to operate seven days a week, and not be restricted to one church service on a Sunday.”
“Careful consideration” had been given to the “importance of the Conservation Area and the form and character of Little Barrack Street” in the development.
The plan is, firstly, to demolish the existing garages, which had already been approved, then alter the design of the previously permitted scheme “to link it into the client’s building and continue the streetscape”.
The overall intention is to “regenerate and enhance the area and in particular this important link-way to the Mall” and the Little Barrack Street scheme – married to Scotch Street plans – will make that happen.
Explained Darryl: “Unfortunately, because of bringing this planning together, it meant we were in a standstill until it came through. So that gives us a bit of momentum. We’re getting ourselves geared up and hopefully we can break some ground within the next year. That would be our absolute dream, to be able to do some construction.”
When the previous plans, fronting Scotch Street, were approved, there was understandable excitement at what was proposed.
In relation to that, the ground floor will have two entrances – with a retail unit sitting to the left next door to Armagh Indian Nights.
The right hand side – with a separate opening – would take visitors through a reception and exhibition area. It would, among other things, include toilet provision, a number of multi-purpose rooms, coffee area and ‘break-out’ area.
On the second floor, there would be three offices, conference room, counselling room, another seated break-out area, additional toilets, main hall and more – and all connected with stairs and lift access.The third floor would boast a paved terrace, as well as a large teenage games room, next to male and female showers and toilets to the rear.
Darryl recognised that the work to get to this stage has been a real team effort and wants to acknowledge all who helped make it happen.
He added: “I would just say a huge thank-you to our incredible team on the ground who serve our community every single day, and to our architects, to designers, to engineers who have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make this happen.
“It’s fantastic to have got through planning permission, fantastic to have got out the other side and now we’re excited to see where we get to next. Once you’re planning it allows you momentum, it allows you to get forward. When you’re in planning and you’re going round in circles and back and forth you do lose a bit of heart when months become years.
“But everybody’s worked so, so hard and I suppose in a lot of ways this is only the start of the journey, but now it actually does allow us to begin.”
