Fresh hope for Wolverhampton’s Summer Row
Monday 29th November 2010, 11:30AM GMT.
New developers are waiting in the wings to take on Wolverhampton’s £300 million Summer Row shopping dream if the project collapses as expected this week, it was revealed today.
The showpiece complex has been in crisis since a funding deal for half the cash with a consortium of three Northern Irish businessmen collapsed in December 2008.
Developer Multi has given itself until tomorrow before it admits defeat and walks away from the project. Today it emerged that alternative developers had been lined up for the project.
Compulsory purchase orders on 200 city centre businesses that will make way for the 600,000 sq ft development in Snow Hill run out in February next year.
A source close to the development said: “Multi has said it will walk away if the money is not found before the end of the month and so it is time to be realistic and admit this is not going to happen.
“However, there are a couple of other developers who want to invest in Wolverhampton and are interested in taking on Summer Row.”
Wolverhampton City Council’s regeneration boss Steve Boyes said today: “We are still in discussions with Multi and will be taking a full report to our members shortly.
“There is a lot of interest in Wolverhampton from developers at the moment but I can’t comment on speculation.”
It recently emerged businesses could be bought by Wolverhampton City Council and then rented back to traders.
The council may take up a loan to meet the cost of buying the buildings and would act as landlord until any shopping development goes ahead.
That would give the council complete control of the development area and enable it to act quickly without the need to start the compulsory purchase process again.
The consortium of Irish investors that pulled out of the Summer Row scheme was made up of two major backers, Lagan Group and Bangor-based MAR Properties, along with housebuilding firm Windsor.
Multi is currently pursuing legal action against them.
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I would still rather go to Merry Hill, Telford or Shrewsbury!
Birmingham has gone downhill in my view and this will do nothing for Wolverhampton!!!
Sad to say it – it will be a waste of money!
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rob h
not everybody can travel to these places as u do so making wolverhampton fit to shop in is important to them .
i think whoever puts there money into the sceme will come off very well .
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i dont know where to start.my little boy is now 3 years old that how long it’s taken so far since the closure of neto and in hindesight could still be trading along with others.some of the streets around the city centre are looking so drab that it makes you feel depressed its that bad.building’s falling apart and looking delapadated.i think it would have been better to pull some of them down rather than keep them up
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Unfortunately the Council in Wolverhampton have no idea of how to run and generate a town and bring in shopppers.
Just look at their past history and how the town has developed,filthy littered streets,yobs,beggers,no policing and heavy handed traffic wardens.
Wolverhampton is fast becomming a no go area and a ghost town.
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Andrew touches on the truth. Wolverhampton’s council has a long history of preventing anything that would benefit the City.
Who remembers the plans to make Victoria Square an entertainment hub with glittering lights and all? Too strident said the local council.
Who remembers the Gaumont Cinema which Wolverhampton permitted to be demolished. One of the most beautiful cinemas in the region… not to mention the Queen’s Cinema.
Wolverhampton council has never done a thing to protect the facilities of its centre. That is one of the main reasons for its decline. Remember the Hippodrome? Never rebuilt. A shop replaced it.
They thought they could revive the City on the basis of alcohol. I warned that was a folly. I am proved right. The nightlife boom was short lived.
The proposed development is wrong. The development needed is to create a shopping centre based on the old Co-op and the island bordered by Lichfield Street, and Broad Street…. retaining the existing frontages. Now there would be an opportunity. Right by the bus station. Right by the railway station. Right by a large car park.
I doubt very much whether there is a queue of developers for anything like the original scheme. This will be like the Wulfrun Centre… promising lots and delivering little. What was supposed to be a cinema is now Argos. etc. etc. etc.
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Time and time again I read your comments PJW Holland. I don’t agree with every one, but you always put across considered views and good suggestions.
Are you able to be more involved with local council decisions?
I would love to see a little more input from knowledgeable people who care about our proud, historic city.
Is there a one night a month montly meeting where interested residents could get involved in local decisions?
There should be.
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A good idea David. One I think you made before and naturally, if we agreed on everything, there would be no debate.
The Express and Star are able to get in touch with me. I am more than willing to put my shoulder to the wheel although I am at a distance at presence.
Today I went to an appointment at a large London Hospital. Everywhere I looked I could see door plates marked (in half inch high letters) GIBBONS WOLVERHAMPTON. Walk along Oxford Street, visit any major hotel here and it is the same.
So where is Gibbons now?
Look a little higher and what do you see? Chubb.
That is the mark of the decline. The name is advertised everywhere and the name has gone.
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lets hope someone see’s the light and RIP’s this project.
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I think we should concentrate on getting the town we have back in order before building new shops. There are already lots of shops that could be revamped if the council would stop trying to spend money they haven’t got on things that nobody wants, Bus station, fountain etc
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I quite agree, fountain is a complete waste of time, great for a hot country, but not here, I hope no one has slipped on the ice, if it not already turned off! or any of its expensive pipes burst! in this cold weather.
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Firstly I do wish some of the people who comment on this site could learn how to spell! maybe something could be done about the schools here in Wolverhampton first!
As to the state of the town, yes it is run down in places mostly in places like Cleveland Street and certain parts of Chapel Ash. However, it does seem that people are taking on some empty units in both the Mander and Wulfrun Centres with niche businesses such as vintage sweet shops etc. and good luck to them! Instead of knockingWolverhampton all the time, lets look at its positive things – brilliant Hospital (I volunteer there weekly and am also a patient and compared to other hospitals across the country and even in more affluent areas, New Cross is brilliant! we have a great store in House of Fraser, we also have good quality jewellers such as Henns and Rudells, a lovely theatre which people visit from all other country, an all weather racetrack, dog track and stadium. Lastly, we have a local lad from Wolverhampton in the group which is on track to win the X-Factor – come on moaners, its not all bad here! and this comes from someone who was born in North London
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I believe that there should be a space between the words knocking and Wolverhampton, education, education, education!
You are right, it is not a bad place though, we have a Premier League football club too.
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My business has been in limbo and suffering for several years, because of the scheme, it now sounds that the uncertainty could be dragged out even longer by the council!
The scheme was never viable, even in the good times, so if it was built, it would be a costly, mainly empty, white elephant!
If there are other developers interested, why were they not given the chance in July 2009, when the council extended its agreement with Multi!
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