New plans after centre goes into receivership
BIG plans are brewing for Runcorn Shopping City after the centre was placed into receivership.
Town centre regeneration specialists Rivington Hark has been appointed to develop the proposals alongside Halton Borough Council and asset management company ICG Longbow.
Rivington Hark was appointed by Savills estate agents.
Mark Williams, a director at Rivington Hark, confirmed brief details about the plans afoot to the Weekly News.
Rumours have been rife in recent weeks about the future of the shopping centre following the departure of highly regarded manager Karl Clawley to the Westgrove Group on December 20.
Rivington Hark is now acting as managers of the site.
A short statement issued on its website in August said it is working with ICG Longbow and Halton Council to ‘reposition this significant asset into a mixed use retail, lifestyle and wellness centre that serves its loyal catchment’.
Her Majesty The Queen opened Shopping City in 1972.
At the time it was the largest indoor mall in Europe and the centrepiece of Runcorn New Town.
It was busy for two decades then faced decline as high streets everywhere were pummelled by competing business from out of town retail parks and then the internet.
It fell into receivership in 2009 amid financial crisis and was later bought by FC&Reit, now BMO real estate, which invested millions in refurbishing its exterior and three of its car parks.
Former Arndale shopping centre manager Karl Clawley was appointed in 2013, and his tenure was marked by a string of innovations intended to make the centre brighter and more welcoming, host to a wider variety of events and activities.
It is possible that a full resurgence was scuppered after proposed developments on nearby sites at East Lane House and Halton General Hospital failed to happen.
Hopes of a rennaisance were raised again in March 2016 with the announcement of the NHS Halton Healthy New Town project, but again the fanfare of the initial announcement fell flat as the years passed and little material progress was made or investment committed.
Another chapter for Shopping City is now poised to begin this year.
Mr Williams said: “Our role is to enhance and improve the town centre scheme. We’re working very hard in close cooperation with ICG and stakeholders including the local authority.
“There’s nothing we can announce at this stage.
“A lot is going on but we’re not in a position to make any formal announcement. We’re engaged with quite a wide range of stakeholders in the community.
“Locally, Shopping City is a very important part of the Halton area.”
He added: “In the period of time we’ve been working on it a significant amount of progress has been made on working out where we can accommodate different services.
“A lot has happened, a lot has been invested in terms of time, effort and money. I’m hopeful that we’ll be making announcements this year.”
A Halton Council spokeswoman said: “We can’t release any information at this stage. The owners of the centre are working hard to ensure the centre has a long term and sustainable future.
“The council is also keen to achieve this and is in dialogue with the centre owners.”