I wouldn't mind seeing the former Audley Centre at the top of East Street 'helped on its way', especially when you see what state it's in at the moment. It's a clear public health and safety risk and makes a nonsense of the recent refurbishment of the area. I usually like to stand up for more Modernist types of building as opposed to more Traditionalist ones, but when I look at old photos of the grand Midland Drapery where this building stands - or rather falls :lol: - I think to myself, "things have gone backwards, haven't they?".
I get the same feeling looking at the building next to 'my' beloved Co-Op that houses the Birds shop, dating from the period when there was a huge crisis of confidence in 'the Modern', the 1980s, resulting in a hopeless mish-mash of styles. The contrast with the Co-Op - built getting on for half a century earlier - is cruelty personified. Get rid of it and build a Modernist curved corner in its place ASAP!
...likewise the shops on the south-west side of Albion Street (the bottom end). Why there couldn't have been more architectural unity when the area was redeveloped in the early 1990s goodness only knows. I like the ones on the other side and nearer Westfield on that side, but the others are a quite frankly messy, sick joke.
As everybody on the E.M. Forum knows, in my opinion the No. 1 priority for sensitive refurbishment and re-use is the former Debenhams. It's a building that reminds any viewer just what a bright, confident, fun time the 1960s was (the first artist's impression of the building we know today appeared on the front page of the 'DET' on the very eve of the decade) and should be allowed to 'swing' (round that corner?) once again.
Other 'priority' buildings are:
Zanzibar.
The Hippodrome.
The Central United Reformed Church (in conjuntion with the former Debenhams)
The Queen Street frontage of the Queen's Leisure Centre complex (now that the former Kennings Showrooms/Garage building has been refurbished).
I'll no doubt come back to this at length.