Zara, H&M and Warehouse are set to open their first fashion stores in Bolton, as part of the Agora Shopping Centre Fund’s £40m extension of the Market Place shopping centre.
Warner Estate Holdings has also signed prelets with Lush, Principles, Office, Joy and Starbucks, who will be opening their first stores in Bolton, while Carphone Warehouse is taking a second store in the town.
A total of 96,416 sq ft of new space is being created within the listed Victorian Market Hall, which adjoins Market Place Shopping Centre.
Market Place Shopping Centre currently totals 320,000 sq ft and is the prime retail space in Bolton, anchored by Debenhams, Next, Boots and River Island.
Construction of the new retail space will begin in Spring 2007, and will be completed for trading by Christmas 2008.
H&M is taking 19,881 sq ft and Zara is taking 16,103 sq ft.
Warner Estate asset manages Market Place for the Agora Shopping Centre Fund.
Michael Stevens, property director at Warner Estate, said: “We are delighted to have attracted such a high calibre of retailers to Market Place Shopping Centre, and are confident that we will have more pre-lets to announce shortly.
Our proposals will restore the Market Hall to its former glory and will confirm Market Place Shopping Centre as both the number one retail destination in Bolton and one of the North West’s premier shopping destinations.”
The Agora Shopping Centre Fund is a joint venture between Warner and Bank of Scotland.
References: EGi News 12/01/07
