Work being carried out on Hastings Debenhams building
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Work is being carried out on the former Debenhams building in Hastings town centre.
Scaffolding has been erected at the back of the building, and new windows have been installed on the first floor.
The ground floor is still boarded up at the rear.
The former Debenhams building has been vacant for almost three years following the closure of the Owens entertainment centre.
Several applications for a change of use have been put forward.
In March this year proposals to convert part of the building into an educational centre for teenagers were approved by Hastings Borough Council.
London Learning Consortium, based in Croydon, applied for permission to change the use of the first and second floors of the Robertson Street property, which houses the former Owens games arcade, from commercial use to educational use.
C Salmons Builders Ltd have stripped the inside of the vacant building to make way for the new centre.
A premises license was also granted by the council in October 2025, allowing a bar, trading as Players Sports Bar, to operate with access from Robertson Terrace.
Plans for a new sports bar were put forward in April.
The applicant, Hastings-based businessman Thomas Cosens, submitted proposals that would involve the venue hosting indoor sporting events, pool, darts, and snooker, along with serving alcohol and food.
The former Debenhams building in its entirety became available to let via commercial property agents Dyer & Hobbis in November 2024 following the closure of Owens.
The property covers around 80,000 sq ft.
Moxie Management Two Ltd, which bought the site in January 2020, said in October 2024 that it was looking at a number of potential uses for the property.
Owens opened at the former Debenhams building in Robertson Street in October 2022. It was awarded funding from the Towns Fund investment after being added to the Hastings Town Deal programme in summer 2022 with the aim of creating 35 new jobs.
The Towns Fund was announced by the Government in 2019 and set up to support an initial 101 places across England to develop a Town Deal proposal for regeneration.
However, in September 2023 Owens put out a statement saying the attraction was closing ‘due to unforeseen circumstances’.
In September 2024, wooden boards were placed across the rear and front of Owens.