Graham has a contract with Blackpool City Council to build a cinema complex and retail space on Tower Street Car Park at Houndshill Shopping Centre.
The council acquired the shopping centre in for £47.6m in November 2019 as part of a long-term strategy to revitalise the town centre.
VIPs and members of the Houndshill development team met on Friday 24 September to break ground at to mark the start of the main contract for Phase Two works on site. It has since signed a lease agreement with homeware retailer Wilko for a 22,500 sq ft store and with MMC Cinemas for a nine screen, 850 seat, 40,500 sq ft multi-media cinema complex, including the biggest immersive screen in Lancashire.
Graham is lead contractor and CBRE is project manager and cost consultant for the scheme. Enabling works, including utilities diversion and site preparation, should be complete by winter.
“New purpose-built, ultra-modern buildings that can adapt to ever-evolving consumer aspirations are important and will shape how we use our town centre in the future,” said council leader Lynn Williams.
The project has a £5m grant from the government’s Getting Building Fund; the rest of the money is being borrowed.
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