For Emily, the unit will be her first bricks-and-mortar shop, after the public voted her business, Personalised by Emily, as the winner of a competition to have her first year’s rent fully covered.
Having a place that supports local trade is “what Dewsbury is missing”, she says.
“I think when people do finally see the finished result, they’ll feel the magic that we’ve been feeling all these weeks.
“Hopefully [in]10 years to come, we’ll all still be sat here thinking, ‘wow, look how far we’ve all come together’.”
Several doors down, Wojciech is preparing to open his business Next Tech, a games store specialising in Pokémon.
Over the last 15 years, he’s seen the arcade change from neglected to restored – and is hopeful that it’s a sign of more to come.
“Most of the young people, whenever I had a word with anybody, seem to be a bit excited that something like this [is] opening in Dewsbury,” he says of his shop.
“The people here are very helpful and supportive. We all try to stick together to make it happen.”
