One of Chatham town centre's largest retail spaces is up for sale with "significant redevelopment potential". The leasehold of the former Go Outdoors store in The Brook is currently being marketed by estate agent DTRE. DTRE's listing says the disused superstore is "ideally situated for self storage or fast-moving goods users" amongst its potential for other "multiple uses". The estate agent also describes the building as a "rare opportunity for redevelopment". The asking price for the property remains unknown as it is only available on application. Go Outdoors closed the store in August 2020 just over four years after it opened to shoppers. Its closure was thought to be prompted by failed negotiations with the landlord of the building to renew Go Outdoors' sublease. Medway Council owns the freehold of the empty superstore and the wider site, which includes the Market Hall building - occupied by HomePlus Furniture - and the multi-storey car park. The 106,000 sq ft superstore has two storeys, as well as a delivery yard that is accessed from Upbury Way with 8 lifts into the ground floor of the building.
It initially opened as a £8m purpose-built Tesco superstore on 9 March 1982 - being one of Tesco's largest stores at the time - and created more than 450 jobs. Inside, the superstore had a 155-seat family restaurant, a bakery, and an extensive home and clothing range. However, Tesco decided to shut the store in April 2015 as it became unprofitable. Shortly after its closure, the superstore was subdivided to create two separate units - one for Go Outdoors and another earmarked for JD Gyms, although the gym operator never moved in. Instead, JD Gyms opened at Hempstead Valley earlier this year. You can view DTRE's listing for the property by clicking here. A popular coffee shop chain is the latest business to join Chatham Maritime, with a dessert parlour also opening within weeks. Costa Coffee welcomed customers to its new branch opposite the entrance to the Dockside Outlet Centre for the first time today (7 June). It took over the empty unit previously occupied by restaurant chain Friendly Phil's, which closed last year. Goldex Investments, the UK's largest Costa franchisee, is behind the new store. The firm signed a ten-year lease for the 1,450 sq ft space with landlord Schroders Capital UK Real Estate Fund (SCREF), according to Insider Media. A Kaspa's Desserts, also run by Goldex, is set to open next door to Costa in just a few weeks. A spokesperson for Goldex Investments said: "We are pleased to announce that we have opened our new store at the Dockside Outlet Centre today! "This store represents the dedication of our team & the vision of building a friendly local community where we can all share our passion for coffee together. "It is with great pleasure that we thank everyone who worked hard to prepare for this day." 8 new jobs have been created, including both part-time and full-time roles. Goldex's newest Costa comes just months after it reopened its branch in Gillingham High Street following a £300,000 revamp.
It also submitted a planning application for a 24/7 drive-thru on Medway City Estate, with a decision by Medway Council whether to grant or refuse approval expected this month. Goldex currently has Costa stores in Rainham, Rochester High Street and Rochester Riverside, on Cory's Road. The arrival of Kaspa's and Costa follows the recent openings of KFC, Gymfinity Kids and Ninja Warrior at Chatham Maritime. The latest lettings means that only one unit remains available at the 123,000 sq ft leisure estate. SCREF bought the Chatham Maritime complex for £12.9m in 2013, which includes the Odeon cinema, the Pure Gym unit and the row of restaurants, containing Nando's, Subway and Pizza Hut. Plans to redevelop a disused bingo hall in Chatham town centre are being prepared, Future Chatham has learnt. The former Buzz Bingo in High Street, Chatham, which closed in 2020, has been acquired by Zetland Capital for an undisclosed sum. It was one of 37 bingo halls let to Buzz Bingo that were bought out by the private equity firm in December last year. Donard Homes, Zetland Capital's development partner, is now drawing up plans for the site with architecture practice Pod Architects. It is not known yet how many homes are planned for the site, although a former Buzz Bingo in Salford - which is also being redeveloped by Donard Homes - is earmarked to become 270 homes. A spokesperson for Zetland Capital said: "We can confirm the Chatham site was among the 37 former bingo halls that was acquired. "We are currently considering our options for this portfolio." Donard Homes also confirmed the acquisition made by its funding partner Zetland Capital. A spokesperson for Donard Homes said: “We are still considering our detailed plans for the site, given its location in the heart of Chatham we feel it offers a sustainable location for new homes.” A public consultation will launch once the development proposals are drawn up, the spokesperson added. Meanwhile, Medway Council's 49-space car park at Union Place faces an uncertain future as it can only be accessed through the Buzz Bingo site.
The site of the bingo hall has a chequered history, which was once home to the popular Ritz Cinema. The cinema was later demolished to make way for a purpose-built Gala Bingo in the early 2000s, before it rebranded to Buzz Bingo in 2018. The freehold of the former bingo hall was last sold to Pountney Nominees 1 Limited and Pountney Nominees 2 Limited, both incorporated in Guernsey, for £3.71m in December 2019. Chatham's Buzz Bingo is one of the latest schemes by Donard Homes, which has a growing pipeline of future projects that will see it deliver up to 3,000 new homes a year. The developer is pushing ahead with plans for 374 homes at Bardell Wharf in Rochester, with a planning application expected to be submitted later this summer. It is also currently progressing developments in Bristol, Basildon and Watford. |
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August 2023
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