The Return of Hornsey Town Hall.

Whisper it, but the Town Hall project may just be edging into the final act…

As subscribers will know the scheme has been bedevilled by delay over the last few years, but as we draft this report the first events are scheduled, the hotel is reported as complete, and the cultural spaces are (mostly) handed over to the newly appointed arts and community operator, General Projects. A programme of soft opening and community communications is promised and come the end of summer, even the fence across the Town Square will come down.

Do stay tuned for tours as the thing progresses, it’s well worth a visit to view the multi-million restoration of this grade II* listed building alone, regardless of the newly minted arts centre.

   Images credits: FEC, Make architects

Timetable

The Town Hall will see an initial fit-out and soft opening from June til September. After the official launch at end September, more substantial use and a second phase of fit-out, leads to the complete operational availability of arts centre, hotel, and hospitality. We expect the following (errors my own):

• Soft opening.
• The summer will be see a gradual increase in ad hoc events, a period of market testing.
• Initial test events are in the diary: a talk in the Council Chamber is scheduled on Sat 14th June as part of the CE Festival (details below); a reception for local businesses in the Assembly Hall (23rd); with workshops for community and cultural groups planned.
• Arts Centre Phase 1 FF&E fit-out (note this does not include upstairs cinema space, rooftop bar, other F&B spaces).
• Arts Centre website relaunch in July.
• General Projects and AND London continue to negotiate with potential third party cultural organisations and F&B operators

• Official TH launch, opening event.
• TH Square: fence finally comes down.
• The Hotel opens shortly afterwards, in concert with adequate F&B provision; the ‘cinema’ upstairs space will be opened later in year.

• October 1st – Arts Centre full operation (sans F&B).
• Phase 2 activation and fit-out.
• F&B fit-out; restaurants open by Xmas.

The Crouch End Festival event, entitled After the Silence, the Hall Awakes is on Saturday June 14th, 4pm. Tickets are available on eventbrite.

The TH reception for local town centre businesses is on June 23rd, 6pm. Contact AND London for invites.

PROJECT NEWS

Development Outlook

Two items of news: firstly, as reported here, FEC have sold the entire Town Hall to another HK developer, AMTD. The sale is anticipated to go unconditional upon the full opening of the various elements of the project (including the hospitality). AMTD’s project, we are informed, will be largely as currently planned by FEC.

Secondly, the confirmed appointment is announced of a new arts and community operator, General Projects, alongside placemaking specialists, AND London, as consultant. Both organisations have impressive credentials, a press announcement is here. With a new operator in place, hopefully the extensive delays and the difficulties between contractors and stakeholders are now behind us, even if the loss of the original long-standing arts operator, ‘Time+Space’ is a tad destabilising.

There are unavoidable lingering concerns about the contents of the arts fit-out and the subsequent cultural programme, which remains undefined. HTH presents the supreme regenerative opportunity over the next decade for Crouch End, and we believe a fully realised cultural centre capable of producing significant events is a key component. Let’s hope that the project delivers on all fronts.

The Square

As mentioned previously, the turf was laid in 2022, the front bit opened in 2023, … and we’ll see the fence come down in September 2025 (we’re informed). As to when the pavement cafes arrive, maybe not til year’s end (NB. Barclays, under different ownership, is currently up for sale).

Certain items remain in a little dispute with Haringey’s planners, including the period lighting and a suitable maintenance plan for the landscaping. We note the ‘Public Space Access Plan‘, a section 106 requirement that covers the “plan for the management, maintenance and servicing of the Public Access Area” i.e. the Square, remains outstanding.

Some features fall short: Does the green need a re-design? Are the benches disability compliant? Should we replace the ‘memorial’ tree with specimens better located (gasp)?

Looking ahead, all operational details of the Square are unchanged: it will of course be entirely publicly accessible. The maintenance and day-to-day management is in the hands of the TH estate management team (provided by Brunsfield), and events on the space will be controlled by the arts operator. We imagine an Events Programme is still some way off. It’s also worth keeping an eye on the secret garden round the back too: Town Hall Gardens, a publicly accessible space.

Arts Centre

We’re keen to hear how the whole shebang will take shape. The new operators promise to deliver a profitable enterprise, evolving through market-testing over the next few months. This is probably the right approach, though steering too close to a ‘community hall’ outcome, although welcome to some, would neither raise the profile sufficiently, bring the increase in visitor numbers the town needs, nor produce the returns necessary. We don’t underestimate the challenge.

In the meantime, questions:  Will we get a recognisable theatre? Will an Artistic Director be appointed? Will the venue be more than a receiving house? And what events will appear to coincide with the Haringey Borough of Arts year? The old TH public rooms were of course designed as community and ceremonial spaces and we are keen to see the spaces re-activated with a suitably impressive fit-out. Not long to wait.

As mentioned, a series of local test events will start soon, working toward a fitted-out Grand Launch end September.

Community Use

People will recall that HTH’s commitments to community use and access is agreed within the terms of the lease between Haringey and the developer. This requires a Community Use and Access Steering Group which is now up and running. Community hire rates, set at a level below private hire, are yet to be set.

In the wider sense, there is no great clarity yet on how HTH will work with the local Crouch End community in terms of cultural placemaking, but we would dearly wish to see the arts centre act as a patron of local creative activity.

Hotel, Hospitality

The 68 room ‘Dao by Dorsett Hornsey Town Hall’ is now reported as complete, with staff training to follow. An actual opening date is contingent on adequate F&B provision opening alongside the hotel (NB. The hotel occupies the old administrative blocks of the TH).

Hospitality, in the form of three restaurants, two bars, and a café, await their own sub-leases and operators. Such things do of course require their own fit-out, perhaps 2 or 3 months on top. Expect contracts by September, openings by…. Xmas?