Brighton’s Shelter Hall Redeveloped

The revamped Shelter Hall is rising from behind the hoardings.

The main structure was dismantled and the popular King’s Road arches including the upper promenade were bolstered to avoid the seafront street from collapsing.

Brighton’s redesigned Shelter Hall is expected to accommodate up to 10 local restaurants and food stalls.

The renovation of the Shelter Hall will be finished during the late part of the year. The 2 new commercial properties are already available for let with commercial property brokers Savills.

The bustling West Street junction has also been renovated to enable people and traffic to run as smoothly as possible.

The whole multi-million-pound scheme is part of the Seafront Investment Programme of the council and is financially supported by the government funds, along with a £9 million funding grant from the Department for Transport’s Highways Maintenance Challenge Fund.

Council Leader Nancy Platts says: “We are very excited about this project that captures our commitment to building community wealth such as creating opportunities for local business owners, job opportunities for the residents and making sure that the money being spent in the city continues to remain in the city.

“People and tourists may look forward to seeing the very best of Brighton & Hove ‘s varied food choices, recognizing that they are going to sustain the city’s economy.”

Rebuilding Update

Vital work was carried out in the structure to stabilize the Seafront Road as well as the Kings Road Arches and preserve them for the longer term. Over 100 large concrete blocks have been sunk to Brighton Beach to pave the area for a new building.

The primary Shelter Hall is two floors high and contains a partial mezzanine level, a pavilion on the upper promenade, and a rooftop deck. To support and secure it, a modern sea wall with modern lighting has been installed.

The old wooden kiosk on the top promenade was restored near East Street and presently features a cafeteria.

A sturdy scaffold has been built around the building to shield it from the elements while the exterior fittings are being placed.

This year’s summer and autumn, the hired contractors will install doors and windows, focus on completing the roof fittings.

Planned Food Hall

The reconstructed hall would provide a fantastic new premier business location here in Brighton.

Sessions Market has signed a lease contract to transform the redeveloped seafront building into a food market, whereas the Rotunda Cafe will become the new Riddle & Finns seafront champagne and oyster bar destination.

The current rotunda, on the upper promenade, will provide a cafe or diner area of around 100 square meters.

The commercial rental spaces inside the new buildings will be more than double to 1,530 square meters.

The Brighton and Hove Council, in conjunction with the commercial property agent firm Savills, encouraged business owners to submit meals and drinks proposals.

There will be two bars on the upper and lower floors, operated by the Sessions Group, offering local craft beer. It is estimated that the venture would produce over 100 new full-time jobs for residents and also, vendors are being encouraged to offer internships.

The plans also include a space for local programs and initiatives within Brighton, like live entertainment, art gatherings, and movie screenings.

All sellers will be urged to procure their ingredients from Sussex food manufacturers and suppliers. There’s going to be over 250 diner seats.

“We also appreciate the dedication from Sessions to use locally grown goods and to collaborate with a range of local organizations, including the Brighton & Hove Food Partnership as well as the Karma, a food waste organization, and to assist our Living Wage campaign,” Platts said.

Sessions Market is headed by CEO Dan Warne and chaired by Restaurant expert Graham Turner.

Mr. Warne stated, “We are genuinely excited to be selected to offer our philosophically-driven, interactive, food hall idea to the much-anticipated development of the Shelter Hall Seafront.

“Sessions’ world-class strategy blends the finest food, drink, and events from the best to developing culinary offerings around Brighton and Hove. We also have a range of the city ‘s favorite local food establishments that share our plans and are eager to join us.

Rob Shenton, owner, and director of Riddle & Finns went on to say: “We are very pleased to bring Riddle & Finns’ experience to this thrilling new place for Brighton and Hove. The renovation of the Shelter Hall and Rotunda was such an amazing achievement and we’re impressed with the renovation.

The Rotunda, on the ground level, will be the new beach spot for Riddle & Finns, a champagne and oyster bar that has been a popular brand in the city for almost 14 years.

Kieron Sherlock, real estate director at Imbiba, Sessions Market investors, said: “We are glad to be supporting the latest Food Hall for Sessions Market Ltd on Brighton ‘s iconic seafront, Shelter Hall is a famous location that will highlight the very best of Brighton and Hove ‘s bustling culinary scene all in one place.

“It’s a new culinary concept for the city that satisfies the challenges of different diners to have wonderful times in incredible places.”

The building has public toilets on the lower promenade, alongside a new walking path and a sea wall.