A MULTI-million-pound plan to turn Southampton into the arts capital of the South Coast is today under way.

One of the former household-name stores Tyrrell & Green or C&A will be demolished to make way for an ambitious vision of an arts quarter around Guildhall Square.

The proposal has been unveiled by Southampton City Council as it prepares to attract up to £5.5 million in lottery grant funding.

The vision may take up to four years to materialise, though.

First of all, the council's corporate committee has to agree with the plan when it meets on Wednesday.

After that, the council has to convince Southern Arts of the merit of the plan, which would then recommend the plan on to the National Arts Council, which ultimately decides which projects get lottery funding.

The council's head of cultural services, Simon Hardy, said: "If they (Southern Arts) didn't say it met with regional principles then a big bid like this wouldn't stand a chance."

Southern Arts would decide by April if it liked the plan and if so the council would have two years to produce a detailed proposal to put to the National Arts Council.

The look of the building has not been decided but council wants it to be a modern design.

It would house a 500-seat main auditorium and a second 150-seat auditorium for rehearsals and smaller productions.

Council arts development officer Christine Rawnsley, said: "It would give us the opportunity to attract some of the more exciting touring companies."

Ms Rawnsley said it would be used for workshops and master classes as well.

The John Hansard Gallery at Southampton University was also being lured to the facility.

"They're very interested in moving out of the university campus," she said.

The new "arts quarter" would then include the Guildhall, City Gallery, City Library, Mayflower Theatre, the Gantry Theatre, and within the new building, the Nuffield Theatre and the John Hansard Gallery.

"Southampton would be the real visual arts capital for the south of England outside of London," Ms Rawnlsey said.