Demands have been raised to reopen a derelict nightclub that had been abandoned for over a decade after several failed attempts.
The big club on Redfield Way, Lenton Industrial Estate, first known as Black Orchid and later ISIS, closed its doors in 2009 after several violent incidents were reported.
In December 2016, a building application was withdrawn, which called for the demolition of the nightclub and the construction of five restaurants or cafes.
Most recently, The Mellors Group, the event company behind Nottingham Beach, wanted to transform the building into a family entertainment complex with restaurants and a sports and eSports gaming area, parkour and open-air spaces, but the plan did not fail at the location big enough for the project.
People who attended the Showcase Cinema said the area around the nightclub was supported by future plans.
Karen Davies, 50, who works in the healthcare sector and lives in Lenton, said, “To be honest I find this area a bit disappointing overall and the nightclub that looks like it doesn’t help, it just really has the storefront.
“People used to get on buses to leave when it was the Orchid. I’ve had some good times there myself.
“But I wouldn’t be against it being brought back to life, it sounds a shame that the plans they had before for it weren’t really effective. It’s a big room, there has to be a use for it.”
However, retiree John Lynch, 68, of Nottingham said the area would benefit from a different location for the people of the area.
He said: “Maybe it can’t be replaced by another club or whatever, but it has to be something that brings people here. There’s a lot of space here and not a lot going on.
“I can’t say I’ve ever been there, but it’s been closed for a while and it’s no use to anyone.”
Tom Palmer, 37, from Hucknall, said, “I only really come to park up here for the hospital, but it’s definitely an eyesore.
“The problem, I suppose, is that it’s pretty big that you either have to tear it down or really invest a lot of money.
“I don’t know what to replace it with, but it’s time it went away, ten years empty even here is a long time.”
Conservationist Hilary Silvester, chair of the board of directors of the Nottingham Civic Society, said the location would make a good choice for another venue.
She said: “We would always love to see dilapidation everywhere, so that dilapidated buildings are replaced with high quality new builds in the area that provide Nottingham with service.
“It would sound like a pretty good place a kind of entertainment use next to the cinema.
“If it is replaced, as long as it is replaced by good architecture and an attractive building that doesn’t stand out from the cinema or anything around it, that would be positive.
“It seems like a good place to have various kinds of other entertainment as I suspect a lot of people could go there as there is plenty of easy parking in the area.”
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