CHESTER could be in line for an iconic £30m theatre and performing arts centre.
A blueprint for the scheme has been outlined during a briefing of senior councillors.
The preferred option would see the building sited by the River Dee on the Little Roodee car park.
It may feature a conference centre large enough to compete with rivals in Liverpool and Manchester.
A report has urged the cultural life of the city must be developed if Chester is ‘to stand alongside European destinations like York, Bruges and Sienna’.
The stalled Northgate Development was supposed to deliver a performing arts centre following the closure of the Gateway auditorium in 2007, a venue enjoyed by people from Ellesmere Port and across the region.
But the Tory executive of Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC) recognises urgent progress is needed and is to officially back a feasibility study.
Culture executive member Cllr Richard Short said: “Rightly or wrongly, there is a feeling that Chester has traded on its reputation for some time.
“The new council intends to remedy this situation for the good of present and future generations. The report before us could point the way to making up lost ground in this respect.”
Plans envisage a theatre with a larger auditorium than the Gateway, complemented by studio facilities for cinema, art, dance and music.
If the theatre and performing arts centre was to be joined by a convention centre, conference capacity would exceed anything Chester currently offers.
Funding could come from CWAC, the North West Development Agency, the Arts Council and private sector.
Work continues on how to provide a temporary arts venue.
Theatre group Tip Top has been given a 12-month extension to perform within the Gateway basement.
