InfraRed Capital Partners Limited (InfraRed), owners of St Johns Shopping Centre and Clayton Square, Liverpool, which combined see a footfall in excess of 21m people per annum, have today unveiled investment plans that will further improve the city’s shopping scene, with multi-million pound investments to benefit shoppers and existing retailers, as well as attracting new businesses.
Clayton Square
At Clayton Square, plans have been unveiled for the major remodelling of this 180,000sqft centre. Works have already started on site and as part of the reconfiguration, Boots UK are fitting out a major extension to create a flagship 60,000sqft store.
The regeneration of this previously struggling shopping centre will transform it into a successful institutional investment in the heart of Liverpool city centre, with support from key retailers including Boots UK and Clas Ohlson.
World renowned Architects, Benoy, have designed the new scheme, transforming a cluttered two floor mall scheme with a new triple height single trading mall. Removal of the internal escalators will provide clear views from Central Station to St Johns Shopping Centre.
The Church Street Mall is to be closed, allowing three new units fronting Church Street to be created, including potential for a 20,000sqft MSU. Further lettings announcements will follow.
Clas Ohlson, already a major retailer within Clayton Square, will see their store undergo significant remodelling, to deliver a better configured unit that will trade in a more aspirational retail environment once the renovation works have been completed in October 2014.
St Johns
A £2m investment to continue the modernisation of St Johns shopping centre follows £4m of improvements already made by InfraRed since acquiring St Johns in 2012.This latest investment will see the renovation of all internal areas, including the complete replacement of mall floor finishes, ceilings and lighting, most of which has been unaltered for over 25 years.
New ceilings within the centre will bring St Johns, which has been a staple of the city’s shopping scene for more than 40 years, into line with modern shopping centre design. It will be a brighter, smarter, more inviting place to shop. St Johns is already improving rapidly, thanks to the investment made in 2013, which saw major improvements to the centre’s food court, toilets and Houghton Street entrance.
Chris Huxtable, Director at InfraRed, comments:
“We are delighted to have made so much progress since acquiring these two assets, with crucial components in delivery being the support we have received from Liverpool City Council and key occupiers. These centres sit in strategic locations in Liverpool city centre, and their regeneration will have a real impact on the city. We are looking forward to unveiling the completed works to shoppers.”
David Henderson-Williams at Hark Group, adds:
“The presence of major retailers such as Clas Ohlson and Boots UK will create a real draw for shoppers to Clayton Square. Meanwhile the transformational works on the internal appearance of St Johns will act as a catalyst for further investment by existing retailers, while attracting more national multiples into St Johns.”
