Member Article

Strong interest in available units at West Orchards as regional agency lands instruction

A West Midlands commercial property agency has landed the instruction to market the available space in Coventry city centre’s major shopping centre.

Holt Commercial, which has offices in Coventry and Birmingham, has begun marketing the units in West Orchards Shopping Centre at the heart of the city centre, alongside retail specialists CWM.

The company is working on behalf of the private owners of the shopping centre after they acquired it via auction earlier this year.

There are a range of units available between 395 sq ft and 5,281 sq ft and, since Debenhams closed nationally, there has been strong demand for large units to be carved out of the three-floor store, with opportunities available for retail and leisure operators.

The centre is home to a range of major retail brands including WHSmith, Marks & Spencer, Footasylum and Costa Coffee as well as a range of other independent and national names.

Chris Hobday, Associate Director at Holt Commercial, said the new owners were keen to breathe new life into West Orchards Shopping Centre and that could mean new uses for some of the vacant space.

He said: “We are very pleased to have been instructed on West Orchards Shopping Centre. Our Coventry office is just a few minutes’ walk from the centre and, as a company, we want to see the city centre doing well.

“Despite the issues over the past year or so, we’ve achieved a series of prominent lettings in the city centre and so we are confident that working alongside CWM we will be able to fill the available space in West Orchards with a range of exciting occupiers.

“It has a huge amount going for it – it’s got great car parking, plenty of well-known names already occupying space and it is also benefitting from the major investment in public realm in the city centre for Coventry UK City of Culture 2021.

“The new owners also recognise that there is still more to do in terms of attracting new occupants and so we are looking at every potential opportunity to bring businesses into West Orchards.

“That means we are looking at other potential uses such as a wide range of leisure operators, together with health, semi-medicinal and beauty orientated outlets amongst others.

“There is a real flexibility in what we can offer because the owners are keen to see West Orchards full and thriving.

“We are already seeing some very strong interest as potential occupiers recognise that this is an exciting opportunity to become part of Coventry city centre’s premier shopping centre.”

West Orchards spans six levels and includes the Canteen food hall that houses McDonalds, KFC, Subway and Krispy Kreme.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .