The Government Office for West Midlands has awarded £8m to Sandwell Council for the arts complex spearheading the regeneration of West Bromwich town centre.
c/PLEX, the £40m arts and cultural scheme designed by Alsop Architects, has been awarded £6m from the European Regional Development Fund under the Objective 2 programme. A further £2m grant from Greets Green New Deal for Communities Programme completes the £8m funding package.
Viewed as the flagship of the £200m regeneration of West Bromwich town centre, c/PLEX is due to open in 2005 on the site of a former bus station with a gallery, education centre, cafés, restaurants, conference and event space.
Work starts on the site this spring, which will also contain Gallery X, a visitor attraction, which is forecast to attract a quarter of a million visitors to the area. Details: www.c-plex.co.uk
