A ROMAN experience centre within Dee House is being developed as an operator model by Chester Renaissance.

Renaissance is pursuing an idea suggested by economic troubleshooters from the Urban Land Institute (ULI) who visited the city last November.

The ULI suggested the crumbling Georgian building, overlooking the amphitheatre, could be turned into a history centre with the Roman remains exposed in the basement and on public view.

Dee House has always divided opinion because some believe it should be pulled down to reveal the rest of the amphitheatre but ULI argued its concept provided a compromise.

And Steve Broomhead, chairman of Renaissance, has not ruled out combining a visitor centre and hotel at the site.

He said: “Dee House has been a thorn in many people’s sides for a long time. It might be that a leisure operator like Merlin who operate the London Eye, Alton Towers and Blackpool Tower would be interested in Dee House as a visitor attraction, something like a Roman Experience.”

Mr Broomhead said Renaissance would consider approaching Merlin Entertainments and other companies when the idea had been turned into a business plan.

“It’s not worked up at the moment but I would have thought any reputable leisure operator would be interested and could be tempted into Chester,” he added.

ULI, who were tasked with helping to rejuvenate Chester, said: “This would not be a museum in the conventional meaning of the term but a ‘true’ experience where visitors would enjoy learning about Chester and its history.”