[maxtoon]

^^ kay:

I have to say the exterior has turned out a lot better than expected, Jury's still out on the fake windows though !

 

[Dan_NUFC]

I love that little house thing. I never went today because I was at uni sadly, but I shall be having a pop in before the match on Saturday.

 

[inmh88]

I took some vids of Eldon Square today. Got there about 12.30pm

http://www.twitvid.com/B7174

http://www.twitvid.com/13BF1


Also, Hollister is opening in early April according to the Shop Finder map they were giving out.

 

[inmh88]

Also, check this out, the best set of press vids I've seen of the Eldon Square opening http://qik.com/video/4955980

 

[Newcastle Historian]

More refurbishment on the way at Eldon
Feb 17 2010 by Peter McCusker, The Journal

THE boss Capital Shopping Centres – owners of Eldon Square – said there are further developments on the stocks following the opening of its latest mall. St Andrew’s Way, the new £100m-plus addition to Eldon Square, was warmly welcomed by shoppers and retailers alike when it opened its doors yesterday. It marked the culmination of £175m project over the last 12 years which has included a new Haymarket bus station, the redevelopment of “old” Eldon Square and additional shops. And CSC say their long-term commitment to Eldon Square, which they have jointly owned with Newcastle City Council since 1976, will continue with further projects in the offing. Managing director Kay Chaldecott said: “Our strategy has been to keep on improving what we have already got. We are active centre managers and we aim to carry on adding value to what we have.”

 

[bigchrisfgb]

Well I think we all know the whole of ES has to be upgraded, but more so where they are planning, lets just hope they get the street level right aswell.

 

[TownPlanningNE]

More refurbishment on the way at Eldon
Feb 17 2010 by Peter McCusker, The Journal

THE boss Capital Shopping Centres – owners of Eldon Square – said there are further developments on the stocks following the opening of its latest mall. St Andrew’s Way, the new £100m-plus addition to Eldon Square, was warmly welcomed by shoppers and retailers alike when it opened its doors yesterday. It marked the culmination of £175m project over the last 12 years which has included a new Haymarket bus station, the redevelopment of “old” Eldon Square and additional shops. And CSC say their long-term commitment to Eldon Square, which they have jointly owned with Newcastle City Council since 1976, will continue with further projects in the offing. Managing director Kay Chaldecott said: “Our strategy has been to keep on improving what we have already got. We are active centre managers and we aim to carry on adding value to what we have.”

 

[Newcastle Historian]

That is fantastic news. The centre will be a lot better with new floors and ceilings but a new Sidgate will be excellent.

I agree.

Interesting times ahead (still) at good old Eldon Square.

I love the place me!! Always have, always will, though this is not always a popular view on here!

I can understand the 'other views' on this, as ES did some damage when built, and aspects of its interior and exterior continue to do so today!

But, the better it gets . . well . . the BETTER it gets!!!!!

LOVE it!

 

[TownPlanningNE]

Eldon Square revamp could be catalyst for a brighter future
THE new Eldon Square shopping mall could be the catalyst Newcastle needs to shake off the troubles of the recession, city leaders say.

Following the opening yesterday of St Andrew’s Way, which boasts the North East’s first Apple store and a flagship four-storey Debenhams, business chiefs believe further investment can be found to improve shopping in the city and boost visitor numbers. They say there are big-name retailers queuing to set up shop in the city for the first time in a bid to follow in Apple’s footsteps. And they believe council bosses can work with private sector officials to make Newcastle a prime UK destination for shopping, culture and entertainment. A total of £170m has been spent on renovating Eldon Square over the last five years, culminating in the opening of the new mall housing five brands which are new to Newcastle. Next £2m will now be spent on bringing the rest of the shopping centre up to the standard of the new mall, with new floor tiles going in from March.

http://www.journallive.co.uk/north-east-news/todays-news/2010/02/17/eldon-square-revamp-could-be-catalyst-for-a-brighter-future-61634-25849576/

 

[elliott]

Good news on the possible refurbishment of Sidgate, would love to see them open the section at the end of Clayton Street through to Old Eldon Square and then redvelop the mall with that open air street mall style seen in Belfast, Bristol and Liverpool. I'd also like a Classical building to emulate what was lost on the Boots/Metro entrance site, a nice cuppola and good detailing.

 

[TownPlanningNE]

Good news on the possible refurbishment of Sidgate, would love to see them open the section at the end of Clayton Street through to Old Eldon Square and then redvelop the mall with that open air street mall style seen in Belfast, Bristol and Liverpool. I'd also like a Classical building to emulate what was lost on the Boots/Metro entrance site, a nice cuppola and good detailing.

That would be fantastic! We'd have a good mix of different styles of malls then.

 

[elliott]

I just think its the ideal location for this type of mall in the city with the Listed buildings on Nelson Street and then a large modern frontage on Blackett Street with large openings and different levels.

Victoria Square, Belfast

 

[elliott]

Just imagine that style of mall looking out down that aspect towards Greys Monument, i wouldn't even be bothered if they got the plans from Belfast and just replicated them lol

 

[Armarniebell]

Is the hollister co. shop open now ? x x

 

[bigchrisfgb]

Is the hollister co. shop open now ? x x

No, Hollister will open in April.

By the way welcome to the forum.

 

[gregstone]

Had a wander down at lunchtime - still v busy, though overcrowded as a result of a Metro FM/Disney roadshow blocking most of the width of the mall. Looks very good IMO - the new stores show up how a larger format unit is more attractive than the "old style" ones we have in Nld St and the older part of ES, with New Look, River Island, and All Saints all having put some thought into their store "dressing". Not altogether sure about Hollister's unit yet though - thought it looked like some Old Orleans / Gotham Town style fun pub that has somehow been misplaced from The Gate.

Sidgate and the stretch of ES leading to the unit clearly now need investment; there are however supposedly some new tenants on the way for the empty units.

 

[AngerOfTheNorth]

Is the hollister co. shop open now ? x x

Welcome to the forum - is this our first ever female poster? Fazaz is right, there really should be more of a mix on these boards.

 

[Smash17]

Went down this afternoon for a wander around, impressed with the sheer scale of the things. Was absolutely mobbed so didn't really have a great look round but all the shops looked really impressive and lots of people were buying things.

The escalators thing will be very annoying though, makes no sense to only have down escalators.

 

[Seamaster]

Am I the only one who has downloaded the Tesco Clubcard app in anticipation of the opening of the new store on Clayton Street?

Somewhat unsurprisingly, it doesn't seem to work with any of the tills in the new store - self-serve or attended - and the staff know nothing of iPhones, apps or anything else. hno:

The store was busy and it's clear the layout is not able to handle this. No one knows where they're supposed to be queuing and there isn't enough space between the tills and the aisles to cope with it. The scene is best described as chaotic, and I'm not sure it's just down to opening day crowds. The store's just badly designed.

Amusingly, I spotted two suits with Waitrose lapel badges nosing round the place, taking it all in. :lol:

 

[BigLebowski]

Internally I have to say St Andrew's Way is outstanding, and a testament to the years of hard work put in behind the scenes to make this possible. You could literally hear the 'wow' factor as people turning left from High Friars were taken aback by the sheer scale, the comparison with the 'old' mall is overwhelming. Top marks for presentation from All Saints, Guess and Top Shop, even River Island and New Look went to town! The Apple store is equally impressive, but i'm still not ready to be 'hi-fived' on walking into a store just yet!

If i have one criticism, the street-entrances and stairwells from Newgate and Clayton St seem a little sterile and featureless, but thats to be expected. Overall an outstanding success in my opinion... internally at least!