CENTRE SPOTLIGHT
Looking to the future
Having celebrated its 25th anniversary last year, Cheltenham town centre’s 180,000-sq ft Regent Arcade is looking to the future. And a major redevelopment is on the cards
A
joint venture between Canada Life and NFU Mutual, before Canada Life took over as the sole landlord in 2005, Regent Arcade opened on the site of the former Plough Hotel in
1985. The centre is a key part of the community, linking two parts of the town – Regent Street with its aspirational brands like Reiss and Jack Wills and the High Street with its mid-tier retailers. Its positioning within the community is reflected in its many services, from the commissioning and repair of jewellery, to Chinese and alternative medicine, an opticians and Cheltenham Festivals ticket office which sells 180,000 tickets each year to Cheltenham’s literary and music events. There is also an arts and craft gallery set up by local artists.
Anchored by Bhs, which is currently undergoing a £2.7m renovation, TK Maxx and Mothercare, the 60-unit centre has recently undergone a major refurbishment.
“It was ahead of its time when it first opened with marble columns and walkways but it was in need of improvement,” says centre manager, John Forward.
Work started in 2007 and included the installation of new flooring, lighting, lifts, seating, signage and wayfinding, extra escalators, two disabled toilets with a separate baby changing unit, a CCTV system upgrade, better fire protection and a triple-glazed roof.
“The old roofing was made of a brown poly-carbonate and the walls were mushroom coloured,” explains Forward. “Now there’s much more natural light and the new flooring has made the malls look wider.” The refurbishment was seen as a good opportunity to put in sustainable materials and equipment, raising the centre’s green credentials on top of existing recycling procedures.
Water is now harvested from the roof and used to flush the
customer toilets, flexible lighting is expected to save electricity by 10 per cent and the escalators slow almost to a stop when not in use. Smoke vents in the roof open automatically when the centre reaches 22 degrees, allowing fresh air in for a more balanced, comfortable temperature.
For managing agents DTZ, and joint letting agents Cushman & Wakefield and KBW, the refurbishment has opened the doors for a leasing drive. Of nine void units, there is currently interest in two. For Forward and his team and DTZ, flexibility on lease lengths and unit sizes
SHOPPING CENTRE August 2011
www.shopping-centre.co.uk
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36