Bradford | Westfield Bradford Shopping Centre, offices and apartments | Appr

[MarkJF]

Originally Posted by Rob

ha ha, you could make a film out of this saga.

Quite!

What on earth is David Ward doing? He is seen (or was seen) as one of the more sensible Bradford political mouthpieces, the person he is referring to is the top man at Westfield. Did he actually read the article or know who he was referring to? If he didnt then he is stupid, if he did then he thinks we are all stupid. Loser all round, see ya David.


“It’s regrettable a highly-paid executive would engage in such loose talk. But fortunately I don’t believe his remarks reflect the position of the company.”

[Sadbrad]

I wonder what the signed tenants now think after hearing that Westfield want out of the Bradford scheme, surely this news will deter any further tenants from siging up?

[Sadbrad]

Bradford Council to engage a retail expert....

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.u...etail_therapy/

Maybe they will convince David Green that Westfield are about to sell up and run

[Sadbrad]

Westfield and the Odeon are to come under scrutiny next month as a key Bradford Council committee looks to learn lessons from the past.

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.u...d_councillors/

They need to investigate what is happening now rather than rake over the past, as it won't change anything for these two disasters!

[sifront]

Some good news for the Westfield site:

http://www.drapersonline.com/news/de...contentID=7467

[sifront]

shame that you can't read the full story. The T&A will probably report it in about 5 or 6 days from now!

[Val Verde]

Well the news that Debenhams are to expand their long proposed Westfield Bradford store means absolutely nothing and could be just yet more talk and no action on this absolute joke of a scheme unless construction actually starts soon on site which I am highly doubtful of.

[Leeds No.1]

Is there potential to get Westfield kickstarted with a phased approach by building Debenhams first?

[sifront]

Originally Posted by Val Verde

Well the news that Debenhams are to expand their long proposed Westfield Bradford store means absolutely nothing and could be just yet more talk and no action on this absolute joke of a scheme unless construction actually starts soon on site which I am highly doubtful of.

With respect Val, I think this is quite significant.

Like many posters on here, I react to the majority of stories about Westfield with a 'believe it when I see it' attitude. But news that an anchor wants to increase floorspace shows that plans are well advanced.

Yes, it's frustrating that work won't start tomorrow, but this scheme has to be right for Bradford. No point chucking a shopping centre up without any quality tenants.

[yorkshiredude]

I read the full article by searching "Debenhams Bradford" on Google News and getting the Drapers link from there.

It says that Westfield will be 'showcasing' the scheme to the BCSC conference. This either means to prospective tenants or to prospective developers. I reckon its the latter, given the noises that have been made by Westfield in the media recently.

[MarkJF]

Ha ha! How can Westfield "showcase" a scheme when they have so much confidence in it that they can't confirm that they are not trying to sell it?

[Sadbrad]

Originally Posted by Val Verde

Well the news that Debenhams are to expand their long proposed Westfield Bradford store means absolutely nothing and could be just yet more talk and no action on this absolute joke of a scheme unless construction actually starts soon on site which I am highly doubtful of.

Well it most certainly means at least one less retailer in the overall scheme because of more floorspace taken up by Debenhams, which cant be a good thing!

[Val Verde]

For those unable to read the Drapers article the T&A has an article up on their website. http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.u...d_development/



Apparently the increase in size for Debenhams will come from adding a third floor for the department store and hence I assume will not be taking space in other shop units intended for other retailers at the Westfield Bradford development. Also in unsurprising news there is confirmation that if Westfield is constructed the existing Marks & Spencer on Darley Street will close and move to a new store at Westfield Bradford and that Next has been "re-"announced as the third anchor store for Westfield Bradford. Certainly a case of largely regurgitating old news and it wouldn't surprise me if Arcadia stores (BHS / Topshop / Burton etc) are also "re-"announced in the near future although such news would only be reliable and not treated as hot air if there is a genuine attempt to get this scheme underway and not just tell tall tales considering the ever deteriorating state of Bradford City Centre as well as complete silence over Westfields attempt to sell the scheme to someone else.

Also if Westfield is ever developed it would surely lead to a major drop of retailers on the likes of Darley Street and Kirkgate in particular for the likes of M&S and Arcadia stores ensuring that the development of Westfield would largely be a case of musical chairs of stores moving from one part of Bradford to another. I can certainly struggle to see just who could take over the likes of Marks & Spencer and Topshop on Darley Street other than some complete rubbish and I can see a big drop in footfall in the top end of Bradford as a result with perhaps Primark and possibly Boots (provided they don't move to Westfield) acting as a counterweight to the stores at Westfield.

Also there are certainly questions over competition to Westfield Bradford from the retail developments in Leeds of Trinity, Eastgate and a proposed expansion of the White Rose Centre (also including an expanded Debenhams) and a new retail park in Kirkstall, an expansion of the Kingsgate Centre in Huddersfield and a proposal for the Worth Valley Shopping Centre in Keighley surely acting as strong competition for Westfield Bradford and I wonder if there is room for a shopping centre in Bradford if all the other schemes get underway? Certainly continuing to be highly critical of Westfield ever getting underway imo.

[Sadbrad]

Thats providing the site/scheme is not sold in the meantime....remember this nugget of wisdom from the chief exec of Westfield back in August...."We may sell it but it will play out in a way which pleases the people of Bradford.”

[s.homeport@Yahoo.com]

there are rumors that Midland Mills was recently sold to a Developer who plan to redevelop luxury flats this mean that there are major movements going on in bradford behind the scenes i guess by people who know more then we do

[Val Verde]

Originally Posted by s.homeport@Yahoo.com

there are rumors that Midland Mills was recently sold to a Developer who plan to redevelop luxury flats this mean that there are major movements going on in bradford behind the scenes i guess by people who know more then we do

Not wishing to be rude but shouldn't this be in the Bradford City Centre Regeneration or in a new thread as opposed to being part of the Westfield Shopping Centre thread?

Still as for the Midland Mills proposals il only believe it when I see it.

[MarkJF]

Originally Posted by s.homeport@Yahoo.com

there are rumors that Midland Mills was recently sold to a Developer who plan to redevelop luxury flats this mean that there are major movements going on in bradford behind the scenes i guess by people who know more then we do

What do think the demand is for "luxury" flats/apts opposite 2 discount stores in that location? The centre is rammed with unsold and depreciating "luxury" flats/apts.

[Aaronj09]

I have to agree.. I don't know where the demand is going to originate from.

[MarkJF]

http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.u...enhams_store_/


I love this song.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGI8YNa5f-M

[Sadbrad]

You simply could not make up this long running farce