The £1.6m transformation of listed Risca Palace Cinema into a shop and ultra modern library complex and service centre is complete.
A year long project has seen the former dilapidated Palace Cinema converted into a Tesco Express store and state of the art county library and customer service centre.
South Wales construction firm opco carried out the work on the former ‘eyesore’ cinema which included retention of the historically important grade II listed cinema façade.
The project involved the removal of existing asbestos within the original cinema and retention of the original roof slates and the recycling of other materials from the cinema to use as an integral part of the new development.
The library and shop complex is due to be officially opened on Friday, December 9.
Caerphilly County Borough Council set aside £150,000 to kit out the new County Borough Council library. The scheme is expected to generate some 25 new jobs when fully operational.
Caerphilly County Borough Council Leader Allan Pritchard said: “We’ve all worked hard over a long period of time to ensure this deal came to fruition. We were fully aware and understood how important it was to the people of Risca that this very important building was brought back to life.
“The blend of old and new is a unique statement for the regeneration of the town centre and I’m confident it will be regarded as an important and historic landmark building in Risca.”
Opco Managing Director Nigel Coulter said: “We were delighted to work with the county borough council and developers Johnsey Estates to retain this important local building and return it to the community for use as a retail store and also library.”
A spokesperson for South Wales-based Developers Johnsey Estates, which contracted opco to carry out the work, said: “It was the wish of the late Terry Johnsey, the former Chairman of Johnsey Estates who passed away recently, to see this project completed to the very high standard that it has been.
“ It is fortunate that Mr Johnsey, who was the driving force behind this development working tirelessly to get it completed on behalf of the community, was able to see the Risca Palace Cinema project almost finished prior to his recent passing.”
“Johnsey Estates is pleased to have worked with opco on this important project for Risca. We’re confident the redevelopment of the Palace Theatre will provide a real boost for the people in the locality and be of great benefit to the community as a whole.”
Mike Catris, Managing Director of South Wales Consultants Nicholson Jones Partnership, project manager for developer Johnsey Estates, said “The project is a unique statement for the regeneration of Risca town centre.”
“The new Tesco Express and Caerphilly County Borough Council library provides new jobs and exciting new life long learning facilities.”
Architects for the scheme were Boyes Rees of Cardiff.