CREDIT: ANDREW VIDLER
Downtown's iconic Nash Jewellers will soon be a hub for London's music scene.

The London downtown core has been slowly transitioning from blocks of retail stores, to a wealth of unique restaurants, music venues and other cultural gems. With these developments comes the departure of Nash Jewellers, a cornerstone of downtown London for the past 97 years.

In a press release, owner Colin Nash explained his decision saying it was a good opportunity.

“This is an opportunity to help convert the downtown location into a vibrant, exciting, tourist destination,” he said. “We wouldn’t leave unless we had a great purchaser of the building.”

The man behind this purchase is Mike Manuel, owner of the adjacent Rum Runners and London Music Hall. Manuel is hoping to convert the historic building into a multi-use facility focused on accelerating the development of London’s music scene.

This project, known as The London Music Division (TLMD), is a collaborative effort between the city’s key music businesses, Tourism London and the London Arts Council.

Taking after companies such as Coalition Music, TLMD would host a number workshops aimed at different facets of the industry, offering local entrepreneurs valuable first hand experience and the tools necessary to launch their career.

The organization will also serve as a networking platform, bringing local artists, venues, recording studios and production companies together under one roof. Improving the sector’s connectivity will not only increase job opportunities but will also improve the stability of London’s music economy.

In addition to the networking plan, the new space would be home to the London Music Hall of Fame and an area for showcasing local talent. It is ambiguous as to whether this showcase space will be purposed for an audience of industry professionals and talent buyers, or if TLMD will be acting as a venue in addition to its other proposals. Whatever the aim of the showcase may be, Mike Manuel continues to develop some of the most prolific music venues in London, so it is guaranteed to be astounding.

The final component planned for TLMD is a London Music Office. This proposal is aimed at branding London as an important musical hub, which will help drive tourism and boost the city’s economy. Tourism London has deduced that visitors focused on the city’s arts and culture spend twice as much as other tourists, which will contribute to a rejuvenation of London’s downtown area and open up a wealth of new job opportunities.

“This is good news for London and another example of how our collective vision for our downtown is coming to life,” Mayor Matt Brown said in the press release. “The music industry is important to our local economy and it’s great to see so many partners coming together to support our local talent.  Initiatives like this one will help transform London into a music city.”

The Nash Jewellers’ downtown location has been a key feature on Dundas Street for 97 years, and The London Music Division intends to keep it a valuable proponent of culture and musical innovation for years to come. The future looks bright for music lovers and music makers alike.