The Corn Exchange
Originally built and paid for by a local business man in 1864 the building was used by local corn merchants and also for concerts and meetings. In 1947 the building was bought by the St Ives Borough Council and in 1974 following the Local Government reorganisation it passed to the existing Town Council.
The building was closed in 2001 due to structural concerns and over the years a number of refurbishment schemes were investigated. In 2006 the Town Council considered selling the building and for a while it was on the open market. However in the same year a group of local residents formed a campaign group 'Action Corn Exchange' (ACE) with the aim of stopping the sale and retaining it for community use. After extensive investigations, consultation and lobbying by ACE, their proposal for the Corn Exchange to be re-developed as a versatile public building in the centre of St Ives was eventually accepted.
Work started on the renovation in 2009 and the restored building was reopened on 24 June 2010 by the Mayor Councillor David Hodge. A Community Interest Company was formed to run the building with its mission statement being “To develop a thriving, multipurpose community facility, at the centre of St Ives, open seven days a week, run by volunteers with the help of professional staff, and generating surpluses that can be used for the benefit of the community.”