Market House will now form a key part of the wider transformation of the town’s Market Square area, the authority has announced, with construction work set to begin in late summer.
Harlow Council leader Councillor Dan Swords said: “We said we were going to buy Market House and now we have done it.
“Without control over these buildings, it is impossible for the council to regenerate the area in the way residents deserve.
“That’s why we’ve bought it, and we can now get on with the complete redevelopment of Market Square into a hub of leisure and hospitality.”
The plans include refurbishing Adams House and creating a new destination with bars, restaurants, outdoor dining, and a street market, all centred around a redesigned public square.
Cllr Swords said the council’s ambitions go beyond surface improvements.
He said: “This is not about a repaving or new planters, this is building Harlow’s future in action.
“We are now enacting our vision to create a space which features bars, restaurants, clubs and more; a destination that residents will want to socialise and enjoy their daytimes and evenings in.”
