What's next for Austin's?

The landmark Austin’s building in Derry’s Diamond has lain vacant since the closure of the 186-year-old Austin’s department store in March 2016.

The future of the iconic building was discussed last week at Derry City and Strabane District Council’s Austin’s Task Force, which comprises the owners of the building (City Hotel Group), Council officers and elected representatives.

The meeting heard the Department for Communities’ Historic Environment Division had awarded Council a Historic Environment Fund grant of £7,500 to enable a council survey to establish what heritage aspects of the copper-domed building were at risk.

Speaking to Derry Now, Cllr John McGowan, whose motion to Council in March 2022 led to the establishment of the Task Force, said it had taken “a bit longer than initially hoped but everything seems now to be going in the right direction”.

He said: “Originally my motion was to try and get the building back up and in use, generating some rates and helping to revitalise the city centre.

“At this stage now, we have the full engagement of the owners. We had an Ulster Architectural Heritage Society representative at the Task Force meeting this week and he said this was the first time he has seen such a partnership of Council, owners and elected representatives trying to do this. 

“We are going to keep with it. The owners of Austin’s have offered us an inspection of the building, which they are under no obligation to do but they seem to be trying to fully cooperate with the Task Force. 

“The Austin’s building lying empty is a difficult situation in terms of people in the city passing by every day. It is an eyesore. It is a complete and utter blight on the city centre. However, at least now we have a commitment from the owners to work with us to try to get things moving. They are trying to find a use for the building.”

Cllr McGowan said he proposed the establishment of the Task Force in order to preserve the integrity of the building.

“We don’t want it falling down in the middle of the night," he said. “Also, we want to get the building back into use so we are creating jobs and generating rates. 

“At this stage ratepayers are not paying anything. There was a debate about that at the meeting. I would not be supporting that at all. Once Council has carried out the survey, the resulting report will list if there are things at risk. It is then over to the owners to fix those. The owners of the building are well enough off to do that.

“However, they are not asking for anything. They are trying to preserve the building so it does not fall down. They are waiting on the right prospect for its future use. What the Council is trying to do is make sure that is the case. 

“Council has enforcement powers. We can issue Urgent Works Notices, ordering owners to repair their buildings and if they don’t, we can do repairs and send them the bill. 

“Council has never done that before but we want to put the owners of buildings in disrepair across the city centre on alert that we are not going to allow any buildings to fall into the street.

“There are quite a number of such buildings in Derry city centre and we are not going to allow them to fall down around us.

“We have a legal obligation to protect our heritage and that is what we are going to do,” said Cllr McGowan.

Speaking to Derry News, Derry City and Strabane District councillor Shaun Harkin reiterated the Austin’s building’s iconic status in Derry’s city centre.

The People Before Profit councillor said: “Its closure and deterioration has been a source of frustration and is emblematic for many of a broader neglect here.

“It is a shame the Austin’s building has been allowed to be rundown for so many years. In addition, a closed building is not generating rates.

“We welcomed Council taking the initiative of setting up a task force involving owners, Stormont departments overseeing heritage buildings and heritage organisations, to restore the building and bring it back into use as soon as possible.

“We welcome the progress made and agreement to carry out various building surveys. We also want to ensure it is a transparent process that limits the use of public money, given the financial pressures Council and ratepayers are facing.”

Cllr Harkin added that it was still far off from the point where the Austin’s building would be back in use.

“It is not clear what the building could be used for but there is a lot of potential and possibilities,” he said.

“The focus is now on ensuring the building does not further deteriorate. We want to see this building fully restored at the heart of a thriving city centre.”

A spokesperson for Derry City and Strabane District Council confirmed a meeting of the Austins Task Force took place last week and was attended by Council officials, elected members and key stakeholders. 

“The meeting was held in response to a notice of motion agreed by Council earlier this year to establish the Task Force to consider the vacant Austin’s building in terms of its heritage and future regeneration potential. 

“An updated report on the meeting and progress on the Task Force will come before a future meeting of the Health and Community committee for consideration.”