It was a store that prided itself on being at the heart of Great Yarmouth's shopping experience.
The former Palmers department store in the town centre has been empty since the building ceased trading after 183 years in 2020.
And now the landmark building is set to be transformed into a £16m learning hub providing educational opportunities for decades to come.
In December 2020, Great Yarmouth Borough Council (GYBC) announced it had paired with East Coast College, the University of Suffolk and the University of East Anglia to open a learning centre for all levels of further education.
The council also has plans to revamp the building into a library, registry office and Citizens Advice Bureau.
At the time, council chief executive Sheila Oxtoby said that if all the projects - including the £4.7m market revamp - went ahead as planned, the town would look "completely different" by 2030.
The inside of the building has been cleared out, with only its raw structure remaining. Old stained glass windows bearing the letter 'P' - a reminder of its former life as a retail hub - are set to be restored and preserved.
Downstairs into the former menswear department, the removal of a suspended ceiling revealed period decor "fit for civic affairs", said GYBC's strategic director Kate Blakemore.
The stairways are just as they were, but instead of leading to the homeware department and coffee shop, they will lead to classrooms and a student sitting area.
The skylight on the first floor will be unboarded and restored, and a hole will be made to the ground floor, allowing the space to be filled with natural light.
The first and second floors will house classrooms, and a nursing ward will be housed on the third floor for trainees. The ward will be operational, but only for training scenarios.
The upper-floor bay windows, with panoramic views of the developing marketplace, will be restored.
During the clearing works a team discovered town relics, including a medieval wall on the southside of the ground floor. The wall is set to be restored in what will become the children's library.
Covered by cladding during its days as a department store, a doorway believed to have been part of Row 54, or Almhouse Row, remains practically undisturbed. Following a fire in 1892, the department store had built around the pre-existing Row. There are also plans to preserve this historical feature.
On the top floor, a trap door leading to the famous art deco dome remains closed. Now the interior has been cleared away, and the structure has been assessed, the next stage of development will see the renovation of the Victorian roof.
Mrs Blakemore said: "The inside of this fantastic building has now been stripped out and we are working with the true core of the building.
"We will be carrying out repairs to the roof next. The structure will be weatherproofed, and then new additions to the inside will be carried out to ensure it is a learning hub fit for our community.
"This is such a fantastic facility, and we look forward to providing full opportunities for education working alongside East Coast College, UEA and the University of Suffolk.
"This building will be for the community and will be open and accessible for all, with lots for people to enjoy.
"This will be a key building in the regeneration of the Great Yarmouth town centre and complements the investment the new market building and town square are currently seeing.
"It is lovely that this heritage building is being repurposed and reused for decades to come."
Mrs Blakemore said the town's new learning hub is expected to open its doors in September 2024.
Earlier this month, the council had submitted plans for the building's change of use, as well as a new ground floor entrance from Market Place and 20 cycle spaces.
A decision on the plans is expected by February 15 next year.
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