Hull has moved one step closer to having its own international music and events centre after councillors voted to push ahead with plans for the £36m city centre site.

AFL Architects have designed the 3,500 capacity venue and Hull City Council is now seeking a partner operator to run the facility alongside a contractor to build it.

The purpose-built venue will, for the first time, allow Hull to attract large corporate and association conferences, exhibitions and trade tours as well as major touring concerts, stand-up comedy, family shows and sporting events.

The brand new centre will include dividable break-out rooms, a restaurant, dressing rooms with en-suite facilities, an outside broadcast space and acoustics suitable for conference and amplified music.

The council has committed £36.2m towards the cost of building the complex on the site behind Princes Quay shopping centre. Princes Quay owner CIT is to developing a neighbouring 150-bedroom hotel as part of the scheme, in combination with development partners the Wykeland Group.

“A high-quality, purpose-built events and conference centre is absolutely essential to making Hull a top visitor destination and to secure a long-term legacy from our year as UK City of Culture,” said Hull City Councillor Steven Bayes.

“Put simply, a city of Hull’s size needs a facility such as this. We will formally hand over the City of Culture title to another city in 2020, but this development will allow us to continue to attract events capable of delivering a big economic impact beyond that.”

According to the council, design concepts will be completed and contractors appointed by the end of 2015, with the venue scheduled to open in 2018.

Hull City Council seeking construction of £42m events centre and hotel project

Hull in the running for £30m concert arena

Hull named UK City of Culture for 2017