Friars Walk
Encyclopedia
Friars Walk is a projected shopping centre in Newport city centre
.
The original £222m scheme was intended to cover an area bounded by Kingsway, Upper Dock Street and the existing Kingsway Shopping Centre
, including parts of John Frost
Square and the bus station. A key feature of the development was to bring together Newport's riverfront and commercial centre, allowing people to walk easily between the two areas, extending to the east bank of the river by means of the Newport City footbridge
.
The entire complex would have been completed in late 2009 in time for the 2010 Ryder Cup
. However, work was delayed following funding problems attributable to the credit crunch.
The plan was scrapped on 10 June 2009 by Newport City Council. In December 2010 the Friars Walk scheme was relaunched .
retailers and independents, the focus of which was a 105520 sq ft (9,803 m²) Debenhams
department store. The shopping centre or 'Galleria' would have been curved in design and covered by a glass canopy at the highest level. The top floor of the Galleria would have featured cafés, bars and restaurants, including a roof terrace.
The frontage to Kingsway Boulevard and River Usk
would have been landscaped with a new public space, Usk Plaza, formed at the waterfront. Pedestrian links across the site were intended to be achieved via Llanarth Street and Austin Friars — both of which are extended eastwards and developed to connect with the riverfront.
The bus station plans included a totally new facility fully integrated with the Galleria. John Frost Square would have also been remodelled and connected to the riverfront, intended to remain a space for public events and civic activities. Water formed a key part of the scheme with numerous water features spread about the city centre linking together the various areas.
Newport city centre
Newport city centre is traditionally regarded as the area of Newport bounded by the west bank of the River Usk, the George Street Bridge, the eastern flank of Stow Hill and the Great Western Main Line. Most of the city centre is contained within two conservation areas: the central area and the area...
.
The original £222m scheme was intended to cover an area bounded by Kingsway, Upper Dock Street and the existing Kingsway Shopping Centre
Kingsway Shopping Centre
The Kingsway Shopping Centre is the principal under-cover shopping centre in the city of Newport, Wales. It has several levels and includes a range of high street shops and privately-owned boutiques. It is also home to the city's museum, art gallery and Newport Central library...
, including parts of John Frost
John Frost (Chartist)
John Frost was a prominent Welsh leader of the British Chartist movement in the Newport Rising....
Square and the bus station. A key feature of the development was to bring together Newport's riverfront and commercial centre, allowing people to walk easily between the two areas, extending to the east bank of the river by means of the Newport City footbridge
Newport City footbridge
The Newport City footbridge is a pedestrian/cycle bridge over the River Usk in the city of Newport, United Kingdom.The bridge links the east bank of the river in the vicinity of Colne Street in Maindee to a new public space called Usk Place/University Plaza on the west bank. It is the first major...
.
The entire complex would have been completed in late 2009 in time for the 2010 Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
. However, work was delayed following funding problems attributable to the credit crunch.
The plan was scrapped on 10 June 2009 by Newport City Council. In December 2010 the Friars Walk scheme was relaunched .
Details
- A mixed-use development of 475000 sq ft (44,128.9 m²) including retail, leisure, residential, public spaces, cafés and restaurants.
- A total of 388000 sq ft (36,046.4 m²) of retail including a 105520 sq ft (9,803 m²) DebenhamsDebenhamsDebenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
and 86648 sq ft (8,050 m²) Marks & SpencerMarks & SpencerMarks and Spencer plc is a British retailer headquartered in the City of Westminster, London, with over 700 stores in the United Kingdom and over 300 stores spread across more than 40 countries. It specialises in the selling of clothing and luxury food products...
department storeDepartment storeA department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of the consumer's personal and residential durable goods product needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories...
s. Stores will also include JJBJJB SportsJJB Sports plc is a United Kingdom sports retailer. It currently operates 251 stores in the UK and Ireland.- History :The sportshop chain was founded in 1971, when ex-footballer Dave Whelan acquired a single sports shop in Wigan. The original store was established by JJ Broughton in the early...
, Boots, New LookNew Look (store)New Look is a British global fashion retailer with a chain of high street shops in Britain, Belgium, France, The Netherlands, Republic of Ireland, Malta, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates.-History:...
and River IslandRiver IslandRiver Island is one of Britain's best known high street fashion brands and can be found in most cities across the UK. The brand also has stores in Singapore, Turkey, Poland, Ireland, the Netherlands, and the Middle East.-History:...
. - Six restaurants over 12500 sq ft (1,161.3 m²), including Pizza ExpressPizza ExpressPizzaExpress is a restaurant group with over 400 restaurants across the United Kingdom and 40 overseas in China, Europe, Hong Kong, Japan and the Middle East. It was founded in 1965 by Peter Boizot.In Ireland, PizzaExpress trades under the name Milano....
and Nando'sNando'sNando's is a casual dining restaurant group originating from South Africa with a Portuguese/Mozambican theme. Founded in 1987, Nando's operates in thirty countries on five continents....
outlets. multi-screen cinema. - 281 city-centre residential units, including a 20-storey tower.
- A four-star 118-bedroom hotel.
- Improved car parking facilities for up to a total of 1,400 cars in conjunction with the Kingsway Centre.
- A reconfigured airport-style bus station.
Layout
The main element of the scheme was a three-tiered mall made up of High StreetHigh Street
High Street, or the High Street, is a metonym for the generic name of the primary business street of towns or cities, especially in the United Kingdom. It is usually a focal point for shops and retailers in city centres, and is most often used in reference to retailing...
retailers and independents, the focus of which was a 105520 sq ft (9,803 m²) Debenhams
Debenhams
Debenhams plc is a British retailer operating under a department store format in the UK, Ireland and Denmark, and franchise stores in other countries. The Company was founded in the eighteenth century as a single store in London and has now grown to around 160 shops...
department store. The shopping centre or 'Galleria' would have been curved in design and covered by a glass canopy at the highest level. The top floor of the Galleria would have featured cafés, bars and restaurants, including a roof terrace.
The frontage to Kingsway Boulevard and River Usk
River Usk
The River Usk rises on the northern slopes of the Black Mountain of mid-Wales, in the easternmost part of the Brecon Beacons National Park. Initially it flows north into Usk Reservoir, then east by Sennybridge to Brecon before turning southeast to flow by Talybont-on-Usk, Crickhowell and...
would have been landscaped with a new public space, Usk Plaza, formed at the waterfront. Pedestrian links across the site were intended to be achieved via Llanarth Street and Austin Friars — both of which are extended eastwards and developed to connect with the riverfront.
The bus station plans included a totally new facility fully integrated with the Galleria. John Frost Square would have also been remodelled and connected to the riverfront, intended to remain a space for public events and civic activities. Water formed a key part of the scheme with numerous water features spread about the city centre linking together the various areas.