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NOTTINGHAM | Broad Marsh- Green Heart Urban Park | U/C

1M views 10K replies 223 participants last post by  pharmj 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
** For context- since this thread was started, the global market crash in 2010 and COVID pandemic caused both retail-led schemes to collapse. This area is now to be split into different development parcels with the former shopping centre partially demolished. As of 2024, the new Broad Marsh library and car park have been delivered and a new urban park called the Green Heart is under construction. The old threads prior to this have been preserved for context and historical record**

Broadmarsh Shopping Centre

Status: Approved
Regen Zone: Southside
Developer: Westfield
Architects: ?
Cost:: £700m
Size: 136,000m²
Use:: Retail (136,000m²)


Links:
SSC Thread
Westfield
New Nottingham Page
Planning Application

Notes:
Westfield plan to triple the size of the existing Broadmarsh centre. The development will come
in a street like form and will be pure retail. It will contain 2 new department stores, a number
other large anchors, a supermarket, a new food court, rooftop parking, a number of open spaces,
and arcades. The aim is to open up spaces around the existing centre by demolishing the two
multi-storey car parks and removing the 'wall' that visitors see as soon as they turn out of
Nottingham's train station. This is designed to draw people in to the city centre and open up views
of the area.

The plan was first submitted in 2001. After brief consultation retailers told Westfield mezzanine
floor were required. This resulted in Westfield revising the 120,000m² application to 136,000m².
and increasing the height of buildings by 9m. Upon completion Broadmarsh will be the largest
city centre shopping mall outside of London.


Current Status:
Nottingham City Council accepted the planning application in April 2007. Anchors M&S and
Debenhams have agreed heads of terms. No construction/demolition has taken place as of yet.















The image below is the latest render to be released by Broadmarsh. Actual exteriors of buildings
are likely to be determined by the demands of the anchor storeholder. The planning application
clearly states that flagship stores (especially the one on the west side) will be an architectural
statement in themself.



This is what the centre looks like now! GOOD RIDDENCE!!





 
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#6,547 ·
Hi guys I’ve been on this site for years now and everyday I read what’s new on the Nottingham thread and I see some really passionate people who like myself genuinely care so much for our fantastic city and the potential it still has.
Regarding broadmarsh centre it makes me sick to my stomach seeing it literally fall to pieces without a care in the world from our pathetic backwards councillors, I’ve messaged Jon Collins through twitter many times without reply but one time I did get his personal direct email which is Jon.collins@me.com
Please please please get on this and tell him exactly how we feel and what really could be achieved as you guys really know your stuff.
 
#6,548 ·
Hi guys I’ve been on this site for years now and everyday I read what’s new on the Nottingham thread and I see some really passionate people who like myself genuinely care so much for our fantastic city and the potential it still has.
Regarding broadmarsh centre it makes me sick to my stomach seeing it literally fall to pieces without a care in the world from our pathetic backwards councillors, I’ve messaged Jon Collins through twitter many times without reply but one time I did get his personal direct email which is [removed]
Please please please get on this and tell him exactly how we feel and what really could be achieved as you guys really know your stuff.
I'm not sure sharing people's personal emails is the right way to sort this out.
 
#6,550 ·
interesting: https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/news/business/intu-derby-properties-sale-takeover-1744690

The owner of Intu Derby is staying tight-lipped amid speculation it is exploring a sale of the shopping centre.

According to reports in the real estate sector, Intu Properties is considering selling all or half of the 1.3m sq ft complex.

The retail giant is said to have appointed commercial property firm CBRE to review options for a full takeover or joint venture deal.
 
#6,552 · (Edited)
Intu won’t be getting out of retail, that’s what they exist for...

Intu Derby is one of Intiu’s most profitable centres so it would be a relatively easy sell which would release cash to invest in other developments. If a sale or partial sale goes through it probably shows that they consider the centre to be pretty much a finished article with limited development potential in the near future. Same with Highcross, Hammerson has just sold a 50% stake in that centre with the profits going into their development pipeline.

It doesn’t show that they are failing, quite the opposite. Why would someone invest millions into something that isn’t profitable? Same with the idea that all retail is in terminal decline. Some retail areas are failing such as traditional high streets but the main shopping centres performance in the country remain strong.

The question really, is if they are trying to build up a development pot of cash, where do they intend to spend it? Is Nottingham in their plans? The direction of all the main players , including Hammerson is to direct investment into the larger ‘regional super centres’ as they call them, which is where they all see the major growth in retail coming from in the near future.

the latest investor presentation does mention Broadmarsh though - apparently one third pre-let ...
https://www.intugroup.co.uk/media/5058/intu-properties-plc-south-african-investor-presentation-26-june-2018.pdf
 
#6,554 ·
If a sale or partial sale goes through it probably shows that they consider the centre to be pretty much a finished article with limited development potential in the near future.
Other than put their own signage up, what have Intu done to the Derby centre in the 4 years they've owned it?

If nothing, then what has changed in those 4 years? I can't imagine the price paid was particularly bargain basement, Westfield wanted out but not desperately.
 
#6,562 ·
No, again, this is what was always planned.

As you go further to the east, the road surface of Collin Street rises, while the floorplate of Broadmarsh remains flat so you can't knock through further east at floor level (You could introduce glass to the top half of the floor level but, of course, the back of those units is made up of servicing corridors etc. anyway)

It would take a more comprehensive reworking of the space to make it work, but they could of course, make it work...
 
#6,567 ·
I don't mind the orange bit too much, it's all the bloody brick wall that remains around the former Argos and BHS units that offends me.

It's quite funny that they have bricked over the windows in the render.

It's confirmed that the last pound shop in Broadmarsh is to close on Sunday: https://www.insidermedia.com/insider/yorkshire/administrators-confirm-poundworld-store-closures

End of an era. Poundworld is one of the handful of stores which has had a glassy frontage put on. Wilko down there, despite being a much *much* nicer store than the one opposite the Victoria Centre, is now dead by comparison.

I can only guess that they are on some sort of revenue support deal as surely they can't make that pay (it was only refurbished last summer).
 
#6,575 ·
the orange bit looks bad but are they not doing anything with the long brick wall at the other end going towards the castle area? the bus bit?

wot a mess. they shud have just knocked the whole lot down - the bus area bit and the car park and college between broadmarsh and the castle is a horrible area and yet the area between the castle and old trip to jurusalem, the canal and broadmarsh shuld be the jewel in nottinghams crown

not a tramps paradise
 
#6,576 ·
Deutsche Bank put the boot into real estate firm Intu Properties PLC (LON:INTU) on Thursday following a marathon shopping trip, downgrading its rating to ‘sell’ from ‘hold’.

The German bank also chopped its target price for the FTSE 250-listed stock back to 150p from 210p, with the shares currently changing hands at 177.5p each, down 3.9% on Wednesday’s close.


READ: Intu terminates Hammerson deal, believes in its stand-alone commercial future

In a note to clients, Deutsche Bank’s analysts pointed out that they visited 17 Intu shopping centre in 6 days, driving 1,500 miles.

They said: “We have travelled the length and breadth of the UK to visit Intu's English, Scottish and Welsh assets and answer the all-important question - Does Intu have a portfolio tail of weaker assets?

They concluded that while Intu’s management thinks otherwise, they are not convinced and consequently have cut their target and downgraded their rating for the stock.
 
#6,589 ·
But they keep saying they “plan” to do things without firing the starting gun. A year ago, they “planned” to spend £37m on Broadmarsh this year. Now it’s £4m. They are not committed until they sign the contracts that get it going.

It’s a further delay on a half-baked scheme that clearly isn’t offering the kinds of spaces enough leisure operators want to locate in and isn’t offering any of the kinds of neighbours retailers want to be near.

We can surmise that Pretty Green are one of the brands heading for the upmarket bit, as they’ve moved into an intu-owned store on Bridlesmithgate, which they said was a temporary move. But we’ve heard nothing about an anchor for that section at the same time as the retail climate has been knocking brands out of Bridlesmithgate proper.

Meanwhile, the low-end fashion zone has no known takers. In other intu malls, this is where you’d sign up Primark or New Look but Broadmarsh has none of the other High Street brands - Next, Top Shop, River Island, Debenhams - they want to be near.

Then you’ve got a casual dining sector in retreat which was expected to fill most of the leisure capacity in this scheme. This is the same sector that’s chosen not to locate at Victoria’s Clock Tower as those chains become much more focused on the best locations rather than opening everywhere and anywhere to grow their brands.

It’s absolutely correct that the pre-Brexit retail and leisure slump is affecting this scheme - and that’s not Intu’s fault. (Hammerson have just paused the huge Brent Cross extension.)

But there is a mini construction boom happening in Nottingham right now. Surely a mixed scheme with less retail and new residential, making use of the new public realm around it would stand more chance of success.
 
#6,582 ·
Although the plans for the redevelopment of the Broadmarsh Centre are not ideal. I for one think that once the project it will give Nottingham city centre a great lift. We should stop moaning about this scheme we should. Yeah some bits of it are bad like the Berlin Wall around the old Bhs part of the centre been left as it is but I think that there are some good parts of this scheme and that's my entitled opinion. At least Intu are prepared to do something at Broadmarsh and are not just going to leave it in it's current pathetic state. As Iv'e said the plans are far from ideal but we should be grateful for the fact that something is going to be done with it. Everyone on here should just judge the project when it's fully completed and stop taking every opportunity to shoot it down. The Broadmarsh scheme does not need anymore delays. I know the staff in Broadmarsh and they are so passionate about their shopping centre so I suggest we should all be the same. Lets look at the good things about it or at least try and find some positive points and stop been so bloody negative all the time because it makes the forum so depressing.
 
#6,583 ·
Everyone on here should just judge the project when it's fully completed and stop taking every opportunity to shoot it down.
We want to be able to judge it - that's the problem it's like a Northern Rail Service - never actually turns up :nuts: If the original plans had gone forward a mid life refurb would be imminent (i.e. the sort of works recently done in the Viccy Centre, new lighting, a lick of paint, some layout changes etc).

More store closures now (ablit only temporary this time!)
https://www.nottinghampost.com/news/nottingham-news/section-broadmarsh-centre-closed-due-1832925

A section of intu Broadmarsh has been closed off today following complaints about a 'strong smell' coming from roadworks outside the centre.

Tanners Walk within the centre has been temporarily closed following complaints from one of the retailers.

....

Nigel Wheatley, general manager for intu Broadmarsh said: “We received a complaint from one of our retailers about a strong smell which is understood to be as a result of the resurfacing works being undertaken on Collin Street and Middle Hill, outside of intu Broadmarsh.
 
#6,585 ·
I think many would agree that the best thing for the site would be a complete bulldoze and start over, in tandem with the demolition of the bus station. Take the NCP car park with it, and the collage site in front of the castle.

The depressing thing is, the council should have the aspirations to achieve this, and right all the wrongs of the 60’s failed town planning of the area.

The collage is soon to be moved anyway. The bus station is already gone. Broadmarsh almost has no shops within it. It’s an opportune moment in Nottingham’s history to just flatten and redevelop the whole southern portion of the city with proper streets, mixed leisure, residential and retail and public spaces.

Obviously it’s not going to happen, but I’d seriously question why the council is investing anything for us to ultimately end up with a larger version of Victoria Centres “Clocktower Dining” area. We all know how that’s turned out.

We could have new, open streets. New, affordable housing, new public spaces at the foot of the castle, a new tram stop...

Instead we’re going to have cladding stuffed over a 60 year old centre, a multi story car park that will just encourage more traffic into the heart of what should be a pedestrian link from the station to the city centre and nothing done about the NCP car park that blocks views of the castle.

I’m sick of listing the problems, there are too many.
 
#6,586 ·
I, too, disagree. It's not like pessimism reigns this forum - just this thread. We are all positive about the new residential developments south of the station, which are helping to transform this area; the ongoing regeneration of the waterfront, which is reuniting Nottingham's residents with the Trent; and even the proposed Eastside project, though one should of course take everything about it with a pinch of salr because of its ambitious plans.

Broadmarsh, on the other hand, is just a monster that needs knocking down and the current plans to refurbish it aren't gonna accomplish anything for the city. It's so painful because it's so obvious.
 
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