Makespace Oxford x George Street
Makespace is thrilled to announce its first ever long-term space in Oxfordshire.
We can’t wait to co-create a space for the community, on the ground floor of the redevelopment project at the current Odeon site, 38-40 George Street, facing onto Gloucester Green.
We want to offer a flexible, multi-purpose, accessible and affordable space for local community groups and their activities.
Makespace will work in partnership with Marick Real Estate, Staycity and Oxford City Council. Development company Marick Real Estate has been successful in a competitive tender, led by Oxford City Council, to redevelop the site with aparthotel operator Staycity. Makespace will be taking an element of the ground floor of the new building and turning it into a genuinely welcoming and accessible place for all ages and backgrounds.
Before it can be realised, the project must first secure planning permission. We will be engaging with local communities from January 2024. The space is expected to be opened in Autumn 2027.
We look forward to working with Oxford organisations, residents, artists, and community groups to ensure that the space is what is needed for the city. We will work hard to compliment and connect with our neighbours, The Old Fire Station and other cultural organisations around Gloucester Green.
Our vision, as with all of our spaces, is to co-create a place for people to come together, learn, celebrate culture and creativity, develop skills and demonstrate what an inclusive economy and society looks like.
We also want to use it to build local knowledge and explore the challenging issues of our time – from the ecological crisis to widening inequality. We hope this will be a place to build local power and develop solutions and ideas together.
This is the first time in Makespace’s history that we have a permanent space, to span multiple generations. Our original formula was to take unused buildings in Oxford on a temporary ‘meanwhile’ basis and transform them into great spaces for small purpose-driven businesses, charities and independent workers.
This temporary model has served us well, and continues to do so as we unlock empty spaces for groups that need it. We are so incredibly proud of what we’ve been able to achieve in 5 years. With this new project, we will be able to co-create a longer term vision, deepen relationships, and create a multi generational impact in Oxford.
Makespace has been given part of the ground floor. Marick will be delivering the building and a proportion of the fit out in constructing a space that works best to provide flexibility in serving the community. But all other funds will be raised by us; staff salaries, furniture, marketing, programming and everything in between.
It’s going to be a challenge, but this is what we’ve been working towards and we are excited to collaborate to create this shared space that is built with and for Oxford citizens.
Notes on the Process and partners
Makespace will work as part of a project team, led by Marick Real Estate, alongside aparthotel operator Staycity and freeholder, Oxford City Council.
The space will need to go through the planning process, with pre-planning consultations beginning early in 2024. Engagement with key stakeholders will take place across the first half of 2024. The new Aparthotel and Community Space is not expected to be completed until Autumn 2027.
More information can be found on the Oxford City Council website or the Marick project website.
Further updates will be posted to this blog and the project pages via a new website, coming soon.
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