A consortium has announced £20m plans to expand the 32,516 sq m (350,000 sq ft) Strand Shopping Centre in Bootle, Merseyside.
Land Securities – which owns the centre – has joined up with Sefton Council, Bootle Maritime City Challenge, English Partnerships and Merseytravel for the project. This will involve demolishing the existing multi-storey car park and adding 7,432 sq m (80,000 sq ft) of retail space.
As part of the project, improvements will also be made to the existing bus station and 1,000 parking spaces will be created at Vermont Way. There are also plans in the pipeline for upgrading Bootle Strand Railway Station.
The scheme has already attracted £4.4m in Objective One funding and £1.2m from English Partnerships. The extension is expected to open in 1998.
LandSec has already prelet, through sole agents Legat Owen, a substantial proportion of the extension to retailers including Kwik Save, Argos, Birmingham Midshire Building Society, Half Price Jewellers, Specsavers, Shoefayre, Radio Rentals and Xceptions.
Tenants at the centre include Marks & Spencer, Boots, T J Hughes and Woolworths, which is to gain more space through an extension of its existing store.
LandSec Director Bob de Barr said: “It gives us an opportunity of satisfying the demand for modern retail floorspace as well as providing improved car parking and transport facilities.”
EGi News 18/07/96
