Property developer Native Land is looking for an operator to create the concept for, and run, the new LGBTQ+ cultural space at Bankside Yards.
Organisations have until October 13 to share how they would transform two railway arches next to Blackfriars Bridge into a cultural hub for London’s LGBTQ+ community.
It is on the site of the former XXL gay club which closed in September 2019 despite a 5,900-signature-strong petition urging it to remain open.
The new space could accommodate cultural gatherings, workshops and events, with a 10 to 25-year lease on offer.
The project is being delivered in collaboration with Southwark Council, the Greater London Assembly and the Southwark LGBT network.
Alasdair Nicholls, Chief Executive of Native Land, said: “The delivery of the LGBTQ+ space within the renovated railway arches ensures this important community continues to be a part of the area, with the potential to provide the diverse opportunities for art, culture and support that help Bankside thrive.”
A panel of politicians, directors and community figures will judge each proposal based on its viability and potential value to the community it will serve.
The new centre will benefit from the footfall generated by the other twelve arches on-site, which will become retail, leisure, food and drinks outlets.
Native Land will also open up new pedestrian routes through the viaduct to create better links between the South Bank and Bankside.
The developer describes the £2.5 billion Bankside Yards project as “a sustainable, mixed-use community on one of the last undeveloped sites on the banks of the Thames in Central London”.
One complete, it will provide 350,000 sq ft of offices, 50,000 sq ft of amenities, bars, restaurants and cultural space.
In January, Native Land secured planning permission for an eighteen-storey office block containing ten per cent affordable workspace.
Operators interested in submitting a proposal by October 13 can click here.