Cityheart has secured planning consent for the £135m Galleries Shopping Centre redevelopment scheme in Wigan town centre in the UK.
Submitted together with Wigan Council, the plans include the development of leisure facilities including a multimedia centre.
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The Galleries25 joint venture (JV) between Cityheart and Beijing Construction Engineering Group International (BCEGI) is serving as the strategic development partner for the project.
The proposed scheme will transform the existing 440,000ft² shopping centre to offer a multimedia centre comprising a six-screen cinema, music and e-sports venue, bowling alley, indoor mini-golf, as well as food and beverage units.
The scheme will also comprise entertainment space, a new hotel, landscaped public realm square, a new market hall, 464 residential units and a re-animated Makinson Arcade.
It will also feature 460 car parking spaces in the existing basement.
Cityheart director Warren Taylor said: “This scheme will not only attract new visitors to the area but will also create an engaging community, breathing new life into the area and bringing with it long-lasting social and economic benefits.”
Work on the new project is scheduled to commence in January 2022 and be completed in 2025.
The scheme is expected to create 475 jobs during the construction phase and a further 190 jobs once it opens.
Wigan Council leader David Molyneux said: “The plan for the Galleries very much reflects the feedback we got from residents about the importance of vibrant town centres during the Big Listening Project in 2018 and more recent consultations.
“We will continue to work with existing businesses in the town centre to manage any disruption during the construction and will continue to work together to ensure their views are heard and taken on board.”
