PLANS have been revealed to turn an abandoned attraction into a new leisure spot in a popular seaside town.
The Kursaal in Southend-on-Sea has stood empty for six years and during that time has fallen into disrepair.
But now, the once thriving attraction that had a circus, arcades, a ballroom, a dining hall and even a zoo, will be transformed into a new leisure destination.
Though the details of what the attraction will be have not been announced yet, Daniel Cowan, Council leader at Southend-on-Sea City Council, said: “The Kursaal is woven into the story of Southend and for too long the Kursaal’s future has been uncertain.
“Today we can say it has a credible local operator, a leisure vision for the building and a clear path to reopening,” reports the BBC.
The Kursaal – which translates to ‘cure hall’ and usually refers to the main hall of a spa town – opened back in 1901 and hosted famous musicians such as Queen, Black Sabbath, Rod Stewart and AC/DC.
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Former attractions included bumper cars, a ski jump, a ghost train and a figure-of-eight rollercoaster.
Under the plans to reopen the historic venue that currently sits on the list of neglected sites, essential repairs will be carried out first.
Currently managed by the property group AEW, the Grade-II listed venue’s lease will be handed over to Star Amusements by the end of this summer.
Star Amusements already runs a number of attractions along the seafront, including an arcades venue close to Southend Pier.
Bayo Alaba, the Labour MP for Southend East and Rochford, said that the Kursaal is “a building of historical significance and architecture“.
He added: “Great-grandparents met in the ballroom, children have grown up laughing in its arcades and bowling alleys, and countless memories made here connect generations across our city.”
Nick Singer, the operations director at Star Amusements also shared that the new attraction would be “high quality” and that whilst there is a lot of work to do, they are “ready to move forward”.
When the venue opened over 100 years ago, it was one of the world’s first purpose-built amusement parks.
And to date, several distinctive features remain such as a dome which was even featured on a Royal Mail stamp in 2011.
Between 1919 and 1934, the Kursaal was also home to Southend United F.C.
Most of the building was then closed down in 1973, before it fully closed in 1986.
It reopened in 1998 but closed again in 2020, with just a small Tesco Express remaining open on the ground floor.
The Kursaal is about a two-minute walk from Southend-on-Sea’s Golden Mile beach and promenade, where you will find amusement arcades, cafes, and entertainment venues.
Taking to social media, many people have expressed their excitement about the news with one person commenting: “Please have ballroom facilities there to host dance competitions!”
Another added: “So glad that this iconic, Grade-II listed building has been saved.
“I was worried that it was going to be torn down and flats built there.
“They say, it is to be entertainment-themed, so lets hope it may be a multi use venue – concerts, exhibitions, even perhaps an ice or roller rink.”
A third person said: “Fantastic news!! Such a Southend icon!”
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