Really Local Group has signed a deal to become the leisure anchor for a major town centre redevelopment in Nuneaton, Warwickshire.
The company will operate a leisure offer at Nuneaton & Bedworth Borough Council’s 5.7-acre Grayson Place project. Queensberry is the council’s development partner on the scheme.
The development will be Really Local Group’s first project outside London and the South East. It will operate a five-screen cinema, live performance space, café, bar and community hub across 14,000 sq ft.
The venue will be part of the second phase of the development, already under construction with partner BAM Construct UK, which is due to complete at the end of 2024 and open early in 2025.
Really Local Group is the team behind the transformation of Peckham Levels in London and Reading Biscuit Factory.
In total, Grayson Place will include 29,000 sq ft of leisure space alongside a 10,000 sq ft food hall and 8,000 sq ft of other food and beverage and retail, as well as new public realm designed to offer a flexible space for markets, pop-ups and other cultural uses. There will be a new public square and a town centre campus for North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College.
The scheme will also include a 145-bedroom Hilton hotel, a digital skills and innovation centre, housing, workspace and a multi-storey car park.
Preston Benson, founder of Really Local Group, said: “It is our mission to create cultural and community venues that reflect the heart of local high streets, with and for the local community. Nuneaton is brimming with character, and our ethos aligns closely with the council’s transformation vision for the town centre – one that will bring a diverse programme of culture and uses that are driven by the local community. So, Nuneaton was the clear and obvious choice for our first major project outside London and the South East.
“Our venue will be a place for people to watch, eat, relax, work, drink and experience, bringing creativity and people back to the centre of town. We hope this new space will act as a positive catalyst for further transformation in the area and is a vital step in creating a new destination for Nuneaton and the wider Warwickshire community.”
Alex Hyams, senior asset and leasing manager at Queensberry, said: “Securing the Really Local Group marks a significant milestone. The cinema will act as an important anchor occupier, which will not only be the heartbeat of the diverse community we are curating at Grayson Place, but also the catalyst for a vibrant new retail, food and leisure offer in Nuneaton town centre. We are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for the scheme and will be making more leasing announcement in the near future.”
Kris Wilson, leader of Nuneaton & Bedworth Council, said: “The regeneration of Grayson Place delivers on the council’s vision of breathing life into the town centre and creating a vibrant new destination where people want to go for multiple different reasons throughout the day. With Really Local Group on board to operate a major new cinema and event space, that vision is being realised – paving the way for a wealth of business opportunities and additional housing development and infrastructure.”
Queensberry is acting as retail and leisure leasing agent for the scheme.
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