Bold new plans to kick-start the regeneration of Harlow town centre by transforming part of The Harvey Centre into a multi-screen cinema complex and food court have been unveiled by the shopping mall’s new owners.
Addington – which took control of the centre last April – is set to pump £8m into an ambitious redevelopment project focused around the sprawling former JJB Sports store on the first floor.
According to the draft propsals an area of 25,000 sq ft incorporating the vacant shop, a neighbouring unit of equivalent size and an overhead storage is earmarked for an eight-screen cinema, while up to six expanded first floor units have been allocated for new eateries and coffee shops.
Addington are currently locked in talks with a major UK cinema operator and several high-street restaurant chains over the plans and hope to be in a position to submit a planning application to Harlow Council within the next month.
If approved, work could start in autumn this year and be complete in time for a Christmas 2013 opening.
Alex Wagstaff, partner at Addington, told the Star ” We are excited about our plans to establish a state-of-the art leisure destination within the Harvey Centre and anticipate that the proposals – if approved – will help boost the night-time economy and in turn encourage wider investment in the town centre.
“The former JJB store has been vacant since 2008, and with another unit next-door of equivalent size also sitting empty for several years, we realised there was great potential to offer our customers something new and exicitng.
“By bringing in national restaurant chains, we also hope to increase the amount of time shoppers spend in the centre, giving our retailers a boost and opening up the possibility for trading hours to be extended.”
The plans follow hot on the heels of a recent £1m revamp of the centre’s interior – a project that Mr Wagstaff said had already reaped dividends by helping to boost customer footfall by an average of 10 per cent since its completion.
“The Harvey Centre was built in the 1980s and was designed to reflect the retail demands of the period – our ambition is to bring it into the 21st century”, he added.
We’ve already refurbished the main interior mall, and we now want to continue this moderisation at first floor level.
“We know the demand is there, and we’re committed to providing our customers with what they want – exciting new shops, high-quality restaurants and a new leisure destination in the town centre.”
The plans are now on public display in a vacant unit opposite Buger King on the first floor.
Further information is online at www.harveycentre.com and on the centre’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
