The Alhambra

Would be good it they could divide the bigger units so smaller independent retailers could get a foot hold in the town centre maybe.

 

Used to be my favourite town centre pub. Gutted when it had to be demolished.

 

Yes that’s what I had understood. Massive win for town I reckon and great leadership from the council.

 

I think that’s where the sweet spot is. Get some small indie retailers that attract an alternative client base

 

fair to see it’s showing a bit of ageing but the limited works you listed would sort that.

 

I totally agree the big named retailers are needed but the smaller one somewhere people can go for a wonder round find something different would be the icing on the cake.

 

I Agree the exterior is an eyesore. Always has been. There are some great possibilities for regeneration. Look at the Market Kitchen, which has not had a lot of structural work. It just needs a different approach. I think a lot of councils are realising this.

 

For me I'd be trying to get some deal that will convince boots to vacate their current premises and move to the Alhambra and then take the opportunity to flatten both the boots site and the former bhs site and create a large open space so that we can have proper Christmas markets and town centre fairs like other places have.

I'd be tempted to divide up as many of the units as I could into small independent shops.

And I'd reopen the side entrance that used to go to the meat and fish market and create a glazed walkway to the side of the glassworks next to sports direct so people can walk between the two completely under cover.

The really interesting thing though is what will the do with the carpark? Will it still be chargeable or will it become a another free town centre carpark? With so many spaces available they could really look into offering free parking during the day and convince people to come here instead of meadowhall.

M and S have missed a treat. Should have located their new food hall in the Alhambra, direct access to a carpark and not cost them a lot of their OAP customers.

 

It’s wellington street that’s the eyesore

 

Doesn't need to be though, wouldn't take much to smarten up the signage on the takeaways etc because the buildings themselves are beautiful and the pavement is really nice too.

I'd be getting big man menswear and the place next to it knocked down (think it's a restaurant possibly Turkish?) So that wellington house can be seen from the main road. Offer a space in the Alhambra to the clothes shop and I'm sure there's somewhere for the restaurant too. Could really transform the look of that side of town at really low cost. Wellington house is a stunning piece of architecture and shouldn't be hidden behind what is now half a building since the nightclub burnt down.

 

The plan town master plan is to demolish the old BHS store and behind it to Wellington Street and create a town park area. They want to reduce the amount of retail

 

Brilliant idea to use for wellbeing. If it's anything like Huddersfield, Barnsley will be running out of space to see everyone that needs help.

 

Agree with this entirely; it would make a great open space and the architecture is stunning - show it off.

 

One in Newport sold for £615k

"36 retail units as well as office accommodation, a gym and car park"

https://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/news/23811958.kingsway-shopping-centre-sold-auction-unnamed-buyer/

 

TBH the way retail is going they’ll struggle to fill it and would probably be better off demolishing half of it, however, there’s now plenty of room in there for Superdrug to move out of their current premises and possibly Boots (unless the one in town is one of the 300 they’re closing anyway). With the council being the owner they’ll be able to offer incentives to get retailers to relocate to The Alhambra, vacating thr premises they’re hoping to demolish as someone else mentioned further up the thread.

Once you you go up behind Boots it’s really not nice and could all do with being flattened.

 

Anybody who thinks Alhambra is an eyesore needs to go to specsavers quick.