The regeneration of Plymouth’s “eyesore” Civic Centre is expected to serve as a “beacon” for the city’s revitalization and enhance the overall city center. The £51 million revamp will transform the building into flats, which will lead to more homes, businesses, and taller buildings in the city. According to MP Juke Pollard, this project is crucial for both the city's regeneration and UK national security.

Pollard, Labour MP for Sutton and Devonport and armed forces minister, emphasized that high-quality housing is essential to support the influx of workers needed in Plymouth’s dockyard and other defense sectors. He believes that this will ultimately strengthen the UK's defenses.

The MP shared his vision for the city center with PlymouthLive, describing the transformation of the Civic Centre as a “beacon project” for Plymouth's regeneration. He acknowledged that the 14-storey building may not be visually appealing, but it is architecturally significant. The goal is to make this building a symbol of the city's reconstruction, focusing on putting people back at the heart of it.

The Civic Centre’s transformation began in January after Plymouth City Council bought the Grade II-listed building for just £1. The first phase involves creating a new skills hub for City College Plymouth on the bottom three floors, with £8.5 million in Levelling Up funding allocated for this purpose. The council aims to convert the upper floors into 144 apartments, bringing the overall project cost to £51 million. Around £19 million has already been secured, including the Levelling Up funding, with the remaining funds to be obtained through loans and government support.

Pollard expressed optimism about securing additional government funding and stressed the importance of converting the Civic Centre into housing. He views this project as a model for transforming similar buildings and encourages investors to consider Plymouth as a city on the rise.

Pollard also highlighted the impact of Plymouth’s post-war regeneration, which led to a depopulated city center. However, with the Civic Centre’s transformation, he envisions tens of thousands of people living in the city center, improving safety, boosting local businesses, and attracting tourists. The project aims to create a vibrant city center with more shops, cafes, and restaurants.

Pollard advocates for increasing the city's density, suggesting the addition of extra floors to existing buildings, like those in Cornwall Street. He envisions a city center with six to eight storeys, which would help meet the growing demand for housing and create jobs in construction. This, in turn, would attract people from across the UK to Plymouth to support the city’s defense and dockyard sectors, further contributing to national security.

The Civic Centre, a key feature of Plymouth’s post-war reconstruction, was opened by Queen Elizabeth II in 1962. It served as the council’s office until 2014 when it was sold to Urban Splash for £1. Urban Splash planned to transform the building into a conference center, but later abandoned those plans. In 2023, they sold the building back to the council for the same price.