Sneak preview for Headrow retailers
Retailers from Leeds' Headrow shopping centre have become the first members of the public to go behind-the-scenes and see its £30m redevelopment in progress.
Headrow shop staff swapped their cash registers for hard hats and high visibility jackets to take an exclusive tour, conducted by the site's developers and owners, Propinvest LP, and Miller Construction, building contractors for the project.
The refurbishment programme started in July last year, when the majority of retailers closed to facilitate the build process.
However, nine stores within the Headrow Centre have remained open – The Pier, Sports World, Game, JD Sports, New Look, HMV, Clinton Cards, Vision Express and Sunglass Hut.
After months of development work behind-the-scenes, staff members from each of the existing retailers have been able to see for themselves just how much work has gone on and get a feel for how the new centre - to be renamed The Core – will look.
Andy Bradley, centre director for the The Core, said: "This is a real milestone for us and makes the development so much more tangible for our retailers.
"While the hoardings are up it's very difficult for people to appreciate how busy we have been and how far into the build process we actually are.
"In fact, we are still very much on track to complete the first phase of the development, comprising the ground floor outward-facing arcade, by autumn of this year."
The Headrow Shopping Centre was built in 1989 and acquired by Propinvest LP in June 2005. Under Propinvest's plans for The Headrow, the existing retail space will grow from 160,000 sq ft to 200,000 sq ft.
Full completion is scheduled for next Spring. Stores which closed during construction are expected back.
Posted: Wednesday, March 26, 2008
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