The Glassworks

Because they aren't allowed to wear them with blazers. Even during breaks so most don't take them

 

Because there is no place to put them while they are in lessons. According to my grandkids.

 

My son goes to school in his hoody and just swaps it with his blazer at the school gates from his rucksack.

 

My daughter walks to Horizon most days and thinks it’s very uncool to wear a coat

 

Glassworks fills up,Alhambra empties we have got Barnsley in another place 50yards down road

 

An empty Alhambra could (should) be demolished and the land reclaimed as green space.

I'm liking the town centre development but there's precious little greenery other than a few shrubs and some artificial grass...

 

Always going to be so. When Cineworld and the bowling alley get going it will only shut what's already here.

 

Pretty much what’s happened with every town centre/city centre development over the last 20 years. Stores will always relocate if they have the opportunity to move into a more modern store and negotiate a new lease.

It’s worth noting that only two stores have moved from the Alhambra - Next and TK Maxx. The Alhambra also isn’t owned by the council so any rents paid in there are probably funding a pension scheme.

 

Interesting yesterday the new tenants were listed and today they just state in solicitors hands.
Anyone know what’s happening with Salt Rock and Black and White ? They were supposed to open before Christmas.

 

It’s now The Salt House and should open in June. The fit out started a few weeks ago. It looks like they’re adding a mezzanine too which looks like a nice feature in the CGI’s.

Not sure about Black & White, but with The Salt House being their flagship venue I guess they want that open first.

 

@Freddiel abymore updates regarding rumours or potential announcements? I know 200 degree due open this month but the other units have been very quite lately also is there any date for cruise/flannels they have also gone very quite cheers

 

Nothing new to report I’m afraid. No news on any new tenants other than the units under offer (New Look, Boom Battle Bar, Urban Burger, Dolly’s Desserts, Marshmallow Blends). Fit out on TGI’s should start soon as a I believe they’re hoping to open in June. I’m not sure on The Botanist, but I’d assume they’ll want that open by summer too - although no plans have been submitted to the council yet.

The last I heard on Cruise is that they were aiming to open in August.

 

The rest are all good news but the cruise one just shows how Ill thought out the free rent contract with Mike Ashley was.

 

In what way? None of us are privy to the legals, but I don’t think an unoccupied unit will be counting towards/against any lease terms they’ve signed up to.

The whole scheme is essentially delayed by 12 months which is why half of it is still empty!

 

As I understand it he's been given a free unit for quite a long period. 5 years I heard. There doesn't appear to be any penalty within that lease if he chooses to leave the unit completely empty and the benefit of his company taking a unit gets lower every day he chooses to leave it empty. Instead of the glassworks having the benefit of the footfall and 'pull' that flannels or cruise would bring for 5 years it now only has it for 4 years and if he chooses to delay it again only 3 years etc. Should have been deadlines to open the unit before fines were imposed which would have encouraged him to get a move on.

Obviously it isn't that simple or anything but I just think giving long term free leases in order to attract big names that then pull in the punters for the other units only works if you've got something to make sure that big name actually opens. Same with the cinema too I guess

 

Right. Would I be correct to assume you don’t work in commercial real estate?

 

Ch

Cheers @Freddiel i wasn’t aware of the marshmallow blends one so that’s new to me I spoke to the girls at dolly’s a few weeks ago and she was surprised I knew of their intent although she did state that it was still to be agreed at that point and she did also have an interesting comment on the reasons why they are taking the unit (it’s in addition to the market one) but it isn’t for me to say on here. I do though find it frustrating that some unit do seem to be taking forever while others are in and open relatively quickly

 

Also while I remember whatever happened to the laser quest that was supposed to be in the super bowl?

 

You would be. That's why I said it isn't that simple. I just don't agree with spending a lot of money to give a rich man a long term completely free lease that he can leave empty if he likes.

 

This really isn’t the place to discuss in detail, but that’s not how lease incentives work. Free rent/ reduced rent/lease break clauses etc. are commonplace - especially in new developments, but it doesn’t give the tenant free rein to do whatever they like. You also have to take into account the cost to fit out the units - the council are literally giving them a shell. It’s quite an expense so a lot of the time a lease incentive will go some way of reducing that initial outlay.