The new owner of Reading Gaol has given a rough time frame of when the site will be open to the public - and it's not as long as we first expected.
Speaking directly to the BBC, Chinese businessman Channing Bi said he hopes to transform Reading Prison into a hotel, museum and art gallery.
Mr Bi also revealed that if everything goes to plan, the site could be open to the public in under two years.
Some areas of the prison are Grade II listed but Mr Bi said if Reading Borough Council granted planning permission, the work could be finished within that time frame.
According to the BBC, Mr Bi, who founded the Ziran Education Foundation, said he has other business interests that will help “to support this project" financially.
He said that all he plans to do will not require a loan and the costs would not be offset by building flats on any part of the site, something Reading locals feel strongly against.
The prison, built in 1844, has been empty for more than 10 years. The Chinese businessman, who bought the site from the Ministry of Justice for £7m in January, estimates the project could cost about £100m.
When talking about what inspired him to purchase the prison Mr Bi said: “The prison’s history makes me think that freedom is very important.”
Oscar Wilde spent two years at the jail after being convicted in 1895 of gross indecency - effectively for being gay.
He spent the last three years of his life in exile in France, where he composed his last work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol, describing an execution at the prison.
In 2021, a portrait by the celebrated street artist Banksy appeared on a prison wall.
The image showed a prisoner escaping on a rope made of bedsheets tied to a typewriter.
Earlier in October, it was revealed the site will be called The ReCentre, with initial discussions indicating that the foundation aims to provide a hotel and museum on the site.
The last inmates of Reading Gaol were moved more than a decade ago in November 2013, with the site closing the following year.
The Prison was briefly opened for the Art Angel exhibition in 2016, but since then it has been closed.
The Art Angel exhibition featured artwork and recitals of Wilde's poem 'The Ballad of Reading Gaol'.
There were hopes that Reading council itself would be able to purchase the Prison, a bid that failed.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel