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Plymouth pins hopes on £200m mall Plymouth pins hopes on £200m mall
(about 2 hours later)
A long-awaited shopping complex in the centre of Plymouth is being opened to the public on Thursday. Businesses hope that a long-awaited £200m shopping complex being opened in Plymouth will make the city the main shopping destination in the South West.
The city council hopes that the £200m redevelopment of Drake Circus will make the city the main shopping destination in the region. The Drake Circus mall is expected to attract 15m visitors a year to new big-name stores including H&M and Zara.
The mall is expected to attract 15m visitors a year to new big-name stores including H&M and Zara. But the exterior of the building, a combination of eye-catching cladding, has been criticised by architects.
The exterior design of the building, a combination of eye-catching cladding, has been criticised by architects. The mall, which covers 6.52 acres and provides 654,000 sq ft of total floor space, will employ about 2,000 people.
Plymouth University's professor of architecture, Jeremy Gould, called the cladding "inexcusable".Plymouth University's professor of architecture, Jeremy Gould, called the cladding "inexcusable".
Speaking ahead of the opening, renowned architect David Mackay, who came up with a blueprint for the future of the city, said the design for Drake Circus was already "ten years out of date".Speaking ahead of the opening, renowned architect David Mackay, who came up with a blueprint for the future of the city, said the design for Drake Circus was already "ten years out of date".
The new Marks and Spencer is the biggest in the regionBut the chairman of the Devon and Cornwall Business Council, Tim Jones, said: "Most of the arguments will be lost on the general public and it is the general public that we need to come shopping here, spend their money and make sure it is successful."The new Marks and Spencer is the biggest in the regionBut the chairman of the Devon and Cornwall Business Council, Tim Jones, said: "Most of the arguments will be lost on the general public and it is the general public that we need to come shopping here, spend their money and make sure it is successful."
The mall, which covers 6.52 acres and provides 654,000 sq ft of total floor space, will employ about 2,000 people and is expected to attract 15m visitors a year.
Drake Circus is the first major building block of Mr Mackay's Vision for Plymouth blueprint.Drake Circus is the first major building block of Mr Mackay's Vision for Plymouth blueprint.
His vision also includes a revamp of the remaining shopping centre, breaking up the 1950's-built shops into smaller lanes so that independent shops can thrive and introducing more bars, cafes and living accommodation to create a vibrant nightlife. His vision also includes a revamp of the remaining shopping centre, breaking up the 1950s-built shops into smaller lanes so that independent shops can thrive, and introducing more bars, cafes and living accommodation to create a vibrant nightlife.
The new Drake Circus got off to a shaky start when department store Alders, who were initially signed up as the main anchor, said they would not be joining the P&O development. The new Drake Circus got off to a shaky start when department store Alders, which was initially signed up as the main anchor, said it would not be joining the P&O development.
But it is hoped that big high street names like H&M, Next, Virgin, Zara, Primark, Office, and the biggest Marks and Spencer in the region will help drag Plymouth up in the national retail tables. But it is hoped that big high street names such as H&M, Next, Virgin, Zara, Primark, Office, and the biggest Marks and Spencer in the region will help drag Plymouth up in the national retail tables.
Plymouth City Council said it thought the centre would be enthusiastically greeted.