St. Davids Shopping Centre

Luxury tailor Hawes & Curtis are advertising job vacancies for a new store opening in Cardiff - likely to be in St. David’s. With minimal vacant units in the SD2, I imagine Hawes & Curtis will either occupy LG33 (previous Oasis) or LG65 (previous Reiss). This will be their fourth full line UK store outside London.

A planning application has been submitted for the reconfiguration of units MSU01, MSU02, LG03, MSU10 and LG80-83.

According to the plans, MSU10 will become the front half of MSU01 (LG04/05) - ground floor only, the front half of MSU02 (LG06/07) - ground floor only, the whole of LG03 and the ground floor and basement of MSU10 (LG01/02). The amalgamation of these units will create 1 large retail unit, expected to be JD Sports.

When MSU02 was let to Clas Ohlson, it incorporated LG06-08. In these new proposals, the ground floor of LG08 will not be included in the amalgamated unit and will instead be split off into a new separate retail unit.

As per the proposed plans, LG80-83 will be amalgamated with the rear half of MSU01 (LG04/05) - ground and basement floors, the rear half of MSU02 (LG06/07) - ground and basement floors and the basement floor of LG08. This amalgamation will create 1 large leisure unit. The tenant is currently unknown as negotiations with potential occupiers are ongoing.

The planning application also covers the reconfiguration of the Lower Eastside W/C’s. Some female and parent/child toilets will be removed to allow for a corridor and secondary entrance to the leisure unit. The female and parent/child toilets will be reconfigured and an internal evaluation will be incorporated for the leisure unit. These alterations will result in the loss of some W/C facilities.

The leisure unit appears incredibly large. I’m intrigued by which leisure occupiers could be interested in this space.

Here’s a link to the planning app & documents - https://www.cardiffidoxcloud.wales/publ ... ab=summary

Market Halls have Cardiff on their radar and All Star Lanes were keen a few years back.

I’m not sure about anyone else beyond this.

The prospective tenant must be encouraged by the Debenhams redevelopment opposite I guess.

There's a planning application for a new shopfront for Pull & Bear in the Grand Arcade;

https://www.cardiffidoxcloud.wales/publicaccess/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=SFZFF5ECFH400&activeTab=summary

It's for 61-63, unsure which unit this is but it was previously reported that it's the former GAP.

Interesting site with full details of the Debenhams redevelopment

https://www.stdavidscitysquareconsultation.com/howtocomment

Is also open for comments until 24th July.

Nothing not to like about this. I think it will be a nice addition to the city centre and will work well with the new leisure unit proposed for SD2.

This section of the planning statement is interesting though (my emphasis):

4.2 At this stage, Landsec want to avoid delivering large scale new development on the site, as
this may preclude future plans for the St Davids Shopping Centre Area and Landsec’s wider
aspirations. The delivery of a City Square as a meanwhile use allows the brownfield site to
be effectively utilised, for public benefit until a comprehensive masterplan has been
developed for the wider area. These proposals will be the subject of discussions between
Landsec, potential tenants, Cardiff Council and a wider stakeholder group.

There was a proposal to redevelop Queens Arcade a few years ago and it wouldn't surprise me if Landsec have nascent ideas to redevelop SD1 along similar lines e.g. open street layout retail with mid/high rise residential above

You may well be right about what they have in mind. The fact that they are spending £30 million on a "meanwhile use" though suggests that it's a long way down the track.

SD1 is actually a much more complex layout than SD2 with three very different componant parts; the M&S buiding, St David's Hall and the shopping arcades. They all have different roof levels so creating a coherent scheme would be quite a challenge - doable but not quick or cheap.

agreed, and SD1 isn't dying like Queens Arcade so theres no immediate need to act. Although, they might be concerned that a successful redevelopment of Queens will draw tenants from SD1 or even SD2. I presume a firm like Landsec has some kind of roadmap for its assets and SD1 being over 40 years old means they must have some ideas about what to do with it next.

Søstrene Grene have erected hoardings around LG43/44 (previous Superdrug) confirming their impending arrival.

Is anything happening with the old Reiss unit?