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Deadline passes for unveiling of City Centre South anchor store

Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:20 pm

The developer was due to announce who the operator of a department store at the heart of the scheme would be by June

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The developer of Coventry city centre’s City Centre South retail scheme has missed a deadline that had been set to announce an anchor store for the huge shopping complex.

Work on delivering Coventry City Council’s £300m scheme continues but developer Shearer Property Group was due to announce who the operator of a department store at the heart of the scheme would be by June this year.

The sprawling City Centre South complex will be the size of Solihull’s Touchwood development and the council says it will make Coventry the second biggest shopping destination in the West Midlands after Birmingham.

Although the deadline to announce the anchor store has not been met, the councillor overseeing the huge project says it does not pose a problem.

In December 2017 Cllr Jim O’Boyle, cabinet member for jobs and regeneration, told a meeting of the full council that Shearer Property Group had until June this year to secure a major department store as the anchor store for the development.

Although no anchor store has been announced Councillor O’Boyle has maintained City Centre South is still very much on track and that the delay is about ensuring the scheme is “future-proofed”.

Cllr O’Boyle has previously hailed the ambitious £300m development as an example of Coventry benefiting from the devolution deal for the Midlands, with the West Midlands Combined Authority contributing £260m towards it.

He has also described it as “transformational” and “the biggest development of our city since the war”.

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:rolling:

Re: Deadline passes for unveiling of City Centre South anchor store

Wed Jul 11, 2018 1:46 pm

So nothing of interest being put into the city just more boring shops along with boring ugly building for students how many more of these do they want . Our history mostly none exsistant as the guts of it have been ripped out I suppose thats what we get when we have boring people running the city. I was suprised those small bin lorrys were nt named Leofric Godiva and Peeping Tom as that where our council has resided them in to the bin.

Re: Deadline passes for unveiling of City Centre South anchor store

Wed Jul 11, 2018 4:57 pm

O'Boyle needs to extract his head from his ar$e.

In the present climate securing a decent anchor store is going to prove nigh on impossible.

Re: Deadline passes for unveiling of City Centre South anchor store

Thu Jul 12, 2018 3:42 pm

Call for 're-think' on £300million City Centre South scheme

The huge City Centre South retail scheme has come under fire from the chairman of the Coventry Society.

In the Society’s latest newsletter Keith Draper has called for a “rethink” of the £300million scheme which the city council says would make Coventry the second largest retail centre in the Midlands after Birmingham.

In his column for the Coventry Society’s July newsletter Mr Draper said that a changing retail landscape meant any new scheme should not focus on multi-national businesses.

He said: “It’s understandable out city fathers should want to see our retail offer move up the rankings, but half a minute, shouldn’t we really be taking a fresh look at this grandiose City Centre South scheme granted outline planning consent all those years ago in 2012.

"Six years ago! Hasn’t the retail trade moved on since those days?”

He adds: “From what I read it’s a challenging market for retailers. Spending is squeezed and costs are rising.

“We are already seeing an acceleration of store closures among the multi-nationals.

“Online continues to outperform the rest of the market.

“Clearly the multi-national store still has a part to play but it looks as though there will be fewer of them.

“No doubt you will recall that the whole purpose of City Centre South was to provide a considerable number of units with deeper trading floors for the big chains.

“Does this make sense in the prevailing climate?”

Championing independent traders Mr Draper goes on to highlight businesses that have survived in the city centre like Agers, Walter Smith and Butterfly Bras but he raises concerns about the effects demolition in Market Way, City Arcade, Bull Yard and Hertford Street might have.

Concerns raised include how it might affect city centre trading and the impact on Coventry’s reputation as it heads towards becoming UK City of Culture.

Mr Draper goes on to call for premises suited to small traders in Shelton Square, Bull Yard and City Arcade to be restored, modernised or re-faced.

He believes doing so would create “a sustainable city centre shining out with the sort of shop displays we once enjoyed”.

Concluding his column he says: “Isn’t it time to give our young entrepreneurs a real opportunity to become part of a new small trader community.

“This approach may not appeal to developers like Shearer.

“Perhaps not entirely true if only our city council gave a lead.

“Surely there has to be an alternative plan at this crucial time.

“I urge the council to think again.”

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Re: Deadline passes for unveiling of City Centre South anchor store

Tue Jan 22, 2019 6:57 pm

Long-awaited Coventry City Centre South redevelopment failing to attract major department store

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A MAJOR city centre regeneration scheme could be scaled down or altered due to difficulties attracting a major flagship store.

The City Centre South scheme is central to the council’s long-held ambitions to transform the city centre into the ‘second biggest-shopping destination in the West Midlands’.

But the council is still searching for an ‘anchor’ tenant years after it announced the scheme – which could cost more than £200million.

John Lewis and other department stores have been mooted over the years.

The anchor tenant is intended to attract other stores to the area.

A meeting of the council’s audit and procurement committee discussed the project yesterday (January 21).

A corporate risk report states: “The failure to acquire an ‘aspirational’ anchor store will have a direct impact on the development and ‘prestige’ of the area.

“This increases the likelihood that that the social and economic benefits of the project will not be delivered in full.”

The report states discussions to identify an anchor store are on-going but alternative plans are being prepared if one is not identified.

The council will also need to seek planning permission for the scheme once again, as it is ‘no longer current’.

To add to concerns, the council also needs to acquire the remaining land and property on the proposed site to complete the scheme.

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Re: Deadline passes for unveiling of City Centre South anchor store

Tue Jan 22, 2019 7:48 pm

The grandiose scheme is falling flat on its ar$e.

Our council need to realise that we're not a major shopping attraction and offer suitable (and affordable) alternatives. However, with the likes of O'Boyle involved, I'll not be holding my breath.

Re: Deadline passes for unveiling of City Centre South anchor store

Tue Jan 22, 2019 9:47 pm

Who would want to come here and shop when they can go abroad for the week end just as cheap or cheaper and get better design and quality clothing etc as many do or even visit here for that matter they ve distroyed our historic part of the city for ugly Tower blocks smoothing the sky and landscape all for students who on earth wants to see them. Woman like to have some thing original in clothing like we use to get with boutique s only a few designs not mass produced I don't see any boutique s here any more C&a use to have good quality clothing but now they only exist abroad most people even men now buy off line or ebay now rather than go into town. .
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