First bricks laid at old Odeon Cinema in North End as it is transformed into homes
The first bricks have been laid at the former Odeon cinema site, which will soon feature 18 affordable homes.
Vivid Homes recently invited members of Portsmouth City Council to help mark the progress of the brownfield site development on Laburnum Grove in North End. The affordable housing provider, in partnership with Imperial Homes, will build 12 houses and six flats.
Tristan Samuels, VIVID’s group development and new business director, said: “We were pleased to welcome the city councillors to the site, and share the progress so far. This site holds significant history in Portsmouth – it’s exciting to be able to repurpose such a well-known space to provide homes to people who need them”.
Leader of the council, Councillor Steve Pitt said: “We’re pleased to see the former Odeon cinema being repurposed into affordable housing in Portsmouth and to be a part of the laying of bricks ceremony.
“We look forward to watching the progress on this site and to the time when families can move into the new affordable homes.”
Ben Olds, land director at Imperial Homes, added: “Imperial Homes have enjoyed a longstanding relationship with VIVID, having successfully delivered multiple joint venture projects across the South Coast.
“We consider everyone should be able to live in a home they feel proud of, feel safe in, and importantly close to their family and friendship network.”
The old Odeon cinema building on Laburnum Grove in North End closed in 2008, and last year, Portsmouth City Council approved plans to redevelop the site for new housing.
Before its closure, the cinema was a well-known city landmark, featuring a distinctive tower. Currently, the street-facing side of the building is home to a branch of the Polish supermarket Minutka.
Part of the original Oscar Deutsch chain of Odeon Theatres, the Portsmouth Odeon opened on December 14, 1936, with the film “Chick” starring Sydney Howard. The cinema had a total seating capacity of 1,824, with 1,224 seats in the stalls and 600 in the balcony.
In 2007, Odeon Theatres Ltd sold the building’s freehold, and after several false rumours of closure, the final screenings took place on January 10 2008.