Video view of Shrewsbury Riverside shopping plans
Friday 15th July 2011, 10:58AM BST.
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This is the first look at plans for the interior of Shrewsbury’s potential £150 million shopping centre.
Developers behind the New Riverside project, which proposes to demolish the Riverside Centre and rebuild and refurbish the Pride Hill and Darwin Centres, made the images public as they launched an exhibition on the proposals for the mall in Shrewsbury.
Under the proposals, the three shopping centres will be combined into one complex, covering approximately 100,000sq ft.
The team behind the proposals, a joint partnership between Shearer Property Group and Ignis Real Estate, who acting on behalf of landlords the UK Commercial Property Trust, said their plans will bring an extra 50 shops and 10 restaurants to the town.
But the plans were given a mixed reception by people who attended the first day of the public exhibition.
Mike Downward, from Frankwell, said he was unconvinced.
“I don’t think it will ever happen,” he said. “Maybe they can fill it but people aren’t spending any money and in the future they are going to be spending even less.”
He added that he was not sure the project would be a wise investment.
“How long is it since people poured money into property and got clobbered? Even if it gets built, commercial property has been going downhill for years.”
But the proposals were given a warmer welcome by Sue Hargreaves, from Riverdale Road.
“It will be really positive for the town. If it comes to fruition, it is going to be excellent,” she said.
She added that the plans could be good for the local economy and welcomed the proposal for the site to include an underground car park.
Meanwhile, Vivien Byrne, who visited the exhibition with daughter Lucy, said she was concerned by the visual impact of the new shopping centre.
“It doesn’t really respect the history of Shrewsbury” she said.
By Chris Burn
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Ha! So the “gap site” still won’t be built on! It’s a joke!
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I don’t see what the joke is. Why can’t people on this site make constructive comments rather than just usual one line remarks. The plans look positive – they are going to link up three centres, regenerate the old and tired Riverside and provide a large Department Store that will help draw more people into Shrewsbury and increase prosperity for the town. There are some areas that can be improved and there is a consultation exercise at the moment where we as residents have the opportnuity to raise pertinent points. Let’s all try to be constructive with our comments and make this town better through engagement and proper dialogue.
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Well said !! i agree totaly this is so needed for the town so let all be adult about this and not keep putting down the idea of Shrewsbury being one of the best places to shop and eat .
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So it’s okay to leave the “gap site” out of these development plans? No it is not.
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Tom,
You say about wanting “Constructive Comments” about the new Riverside site, but how can anything positive come out of this when shops in the town are closing left, right and centre? What is the point of encouraging department store business when people are having problems living from day to day and hardly have any disposable income??? Also we have a Beatties, Primark and Debenhams 10 mile up the road, why do we need them in Shrewsbury too?
Tom, please explain to me how you think £160 million spend is justified when people are being made redundant constantly. Don’t you think it would be rubbing salt in the wound?
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James,
You’ve just answered your own question. Shops are closing left, right and centre because ‘Debenhams’ and ‘Primark’ are ’10 miles up the road’. People aren’t going to run to Telford to shop in Primark and then head back to Shrewsbury for everything else. No, those people will stay in Telford and do the rest of the shopping there.
Shrewsbury needs these big names to capture the portion of the population that heads off to Telford and Chester.
And £160 million is completley justified as its coming from the Private sector. How can anyone argue that regeneration is a bad thing? The fact that these developers want to invest in Shrewsbury is nothing less than positive. Debenhams will create more jobs, the building work will create jobs… Is it Still rubbing salt into the wound now?
No your right, lets leave the Riverside shopping centre where it is with a run-down Somerfield, an ugly walkway to the Darwin Centre and a great hang-out spot for those with nothing better to do. That will definatley be better for the economy.
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well said Mathew
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From a purely design point of view, it looks rather good – certainly a vast improvement on the current setup.
But I’d be interested to see the market research for this project. 50 extra shops, 10 restaurants and another department store. How on Earth could they be viable when they can’t even fill the existing units in the 3 centres, let alone in the rest of town?
Where will the extra staff and customers park? Would the town centre’s streets cope with even more traffic? Will people even bother to try with such a rabidly anti-car Council in charge?
I’m trying to be positive but I’d like to see more evidence of forward and joined-up thinking first!
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I am a visitor to the wonderful market town that is Shrewsbury. Further more I am planning to make a film about the place. In doing so I have started to read and research the history of this incredible and unique community.
It seems to me that the council made a terrible mistake when they knocked down the old market hall and rebuilt the 1960′s version. The modern way is to steamroller through the historic and beauty of the town, not just this one, but most of Britain, all in the supposed name of progress. Yet when asked, people aspire live older Georgian houses because they are spacious, gorgeous to look at, have character and likely to stand the test of time.
The modern out of town rabbit hutches look old, dated and ugly already and they are only up to 50 years old.
Improving the town is one thing, but destroying the character with cheaper building materials and naff futuristic designs is quite another. What looks sexy and exciting now with all its glass and curves will look dated and old hat in 20 years – just as the 60′s development did.
If you must rebuild, then make a real investment and keep the character and style of the town with a Tudor or Georgian look. Sweeping glass and ‘green’ building materials are not going to attract the tourists and their much needed revenue into the town.
Too many towns now look the same with their hideous ‘future’ look. Don’t loose your unique identity Shrewsbury. Its what makes you a fabulous place to visit.
Why not build more traditional timber framed houses/shops – that’s a very green material after all the ones you have left have lasted over 400 years. How many of the modern 60′s to present day constructions will last that long, eh?
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