A completion date has been set for a multimillion-pound building project in a town centre.
Work on the Dover Beacon building is expected to finish next spring, according to a new progress report to Dover District Council (DDC).
The four-storey development will become a business, arts and education facility.
The report said: “The project is currently on programme for practical completion on May 22, 2026.
“The third-floor structure is complete, as are the majority of the roof structures and supports.”
Prospective tenants for the centre’s cafe were due to be interviewed this week.
Details of the progress were outlined at a meeting of the Dover Beacon and Dover Town Regeneration Project Advisory Group last Thursday (July 31).
This is not a decision-making body, so the members simply considered the details.
The new building will include an education campus providing training opportunities in creative and digital industries.
There will also be a business centre for start-ups and small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Thirdly, a creative centre will provide a gallery and studio space.
A small riverside park will also be provided.
A crane for the construction, which can be seen by drivers coming into Dover on the A20, is expected to be in place until next February.
The Beacon project has been part-funded by the government, with £18.1 million coming from the Levelling Up Fund. A further £3.2 million has come from the Future High Streets Fund.
The development is by DDC and is expected to deliver more than £90 million of economic benefit.
The new building will take up the eastern part of Bench Street, and its development meant the demolition of buildings on that side of the street, including the popular Funky Monkey nightclub.
That, along with a neighbouring former post office, was knocked down in August 2023.
