Rebuilt Marina Pavilion will re-open this year
A seafront landmark is set to be transformed into a new functions venue which will open later this year.
The Marina Pavilion, which has been shut for more than four years, has been taken over by a hospitality company called Lightening Leisure.
The firm wants to run it as a restaurant, entertainment, wedding and conference venue, with a beachfront cafe and complementary health and beauty suite clinic.
A deal was struck this week between Lightening Leisure and regeneration company Sea Space.
The move has been welcomed as a boost for the town, as Marina Pavilion has been in a state of disrepair for several years.
Lightening Leisure Ltd will call the venue "Azur at The Marina Pavilion". The company's first step will be to fit out the interior of the facility, which will be carried out by Hastings-based Chameleon Refurbishments Ltd this spring and summer.
David Thorpe-Tracey, chief executive of Lightening Leisure, said: "The Marina Pavilion is a superb seafront location.
"It has stunning views over the sea towards Beachy Head and will be a fantastic place for us to run our latest operation."
Helene Møgelhøj, Destination Development Manager at Sea Space, comments: "Lightening Leisure is an exciting company to take on Marina Pavilion. The team brings a wealth of experience and I see it setting a new quality benchmark for coastal hospitality businesses for the twenty-first century - not just in Hastings but nationally. It will be a venue for all parts of the community and will add greatly to the redevelopment of St Leonards, attracting visitors from across the town and the wider area."
History of Marina Pavilion: The venue, originally known as the Sun Lounge, was built in the 1930s as a seafront cafe and function rooms. It was a popular facility until the end of the twentieth century when it fell into disrepair, before finally closing in November 2003. Sea Space took it on from Hastings Borough Council in 2005 and has since undertaken a complex series of renovation and extension works. This included the creation of a high quality new restaurant space at promenade level with striking coloured glass walls. The renovation works were partly funded by the EU.
22 Feb 2008