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A buzz in the heart of the development
Town centre living, a new plaza and a cluster of exciting new shops look set to bring a new flavour to the heart of Kendal.
Commercial development consultant Robert Pinkus pictured
three weeks ago as the final work was done to the new
Westmorland Gazette offices.
When the wraps come off the £20 million town-centre development, Kendal’s heartland will boast a host of new shops and offices as well as a glittering new Booths supermarket. The new Booths store will be about three times the size of the existing Highgate shop and the new build will include town centre shops and apartments,car parking on two decks and a public plaza.
Developers hope the different elements of the scheme will generate a 24-hour buzz,breathing life into Kendal’s newest development. When planners first set about assessing proposals for the new site,local authorities, including Kendal Town Council,were keen to see accommodation included in the Stricklandgate scheme. And when the project is all complete it will house Printers Croft (14 apartments on the first and second floors above the shops on the north side of Wainwright’s Yard), as well as a separate block – King’s Arms Croft on Low Fell Side,comprising a further seven apartments each with a parking space. Printers Croft will be made up of one and two bedroom apartments with garages at lower ground floor level. The new apartments have already generated a flurry of inquiries and are expected to be ready for occupation in the summer of 2004.
Meanwhile, spendthrifts will be delighted to hear 12 new retail units – ranging up to more than 2,500 sq ft – are inching ever closer to completion. One new shop on Stricklandgate is already available for occupation. The new shops will link Stricklandgate with the new Booths store and car parks via the newly named Wainwright’s Yard. Although they will not be ready for occupation until May 2004, joint letting agents Robert Pinkus & Compay,of Preston,and Mowbray Gill, of Chester, have already received a string of inquiries from companies keen to secure a larger retail space than is currently on offer. Fashion wear,outdoor clothing,cards,gifts and video retailers have all expressed an interest in the retail space along with national multiples – many of them new names for the town.
Commercial development consultant Robert Pinkus has been involved with the development since its very beginning.He said he was eagerly anticipating its completion. “It has been a very exciting project. One of the aims was always to create life outside of the normal office hours because often town centres go dead after 6pm.” He said the number of different parties involved,the change of access and the fact the entire project was in the heart of an old market town had presented individual challenges. “It has been one of the most interesting projects we have pulled together,” he said.
Reproduced courtesy of The Westmorland Gazette
'Changing Face of Kendal', Friday, September 26, 2003 |
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