THE trust aiming to return Derby's Hippodrome theatre to its former glory wants the city council to review its decision not to spend money on the building in the wake of the Assembly Rooms fire.
One of the Hippodrome Restoration Trust's directors, Peter Steer, said helping refurbish the building could save the authority cash if it wants to improve the city's arts offer.
He was speaking three weeks after it was announced that the Assembly Rooms car park blaze on March 14 meant the venue would be closed for at least 18 months.
The council is considering whether to refurbish or replace the current building.
In October last year, the authority said it would spend no more money to help the trust with its plans, citing "unprecedented reductions in council budgets by the Government".
The Hippodrome was badly damaged in 2008 after its owner, Christopher Anthony, ordered work which led to its partial demolition.
Mr Steer said now was the time for the council to look again at helping refurbish the Hippodrome as a 1,000-plus seat theatre for the city – and to refurbish the Assembly Rooms as a separate "events venue".
The largest theatre currently in the city is Derby Theatre, with a capacity of 535 in its main auditorium. Mr Steer said: "The city needs an events centre like the Assembly Rooms for presentations, banquets, receptions, promotions, Ken Dodd and the like and big bands.
"But the principle of the design of the Assembly Rooms in the 1970s as being 'all things for all people' does not work.
"Theatrical productions need stage and back-of-house facilities that cannot be provided in the present building.
"Demolishing and rebuilding the Assembly Rooms as a theatre would cost £50 million-plus with unknown problems in creating new foundations.
"Refurbishing and upgrading the existing building could be £20 million-plus whatever costs that may have arisen from the recent fire.
"A new theatre, such as a rebuilt Hippodrome, would cost £25 million. Simple arithmetic shows that this two building approach, at say £45 million, would cost less than building a new theatre in the Market Place."
Mr Steer was speaking after the trust confirmed it has requested the Government put pressure on the city council to issue a compulsory purchase order so the authority could buy the site. It hopes the council would then agree a deal where the Trust could refurbish it.
The city council would not comment on Mr Steer's idea.
