Medway Council is in "advanced discussions" with an undisclosed public sector organisation in the first phase to redevelop Chatham's Pentagon Shopping Centre, which is expected to cost more than £10 million. In a report to be discussed later this month, the Council reveals that part of the shopping centre will be reconfigured and occupied by an "excellent" public sector tenant that will bring "varied" new uses, alongside "civic uses", to the town centre. While the public sector organisation has not been publicly disclosed at this stage, the Council says the project will allow the prospective tenant to dispose its existing "other unsuitable property", while providing a rental income to the unitary authority. It also hopes that this first phase of the shopping centre's redevelopment will "support the economic renewal post Covid-19 of the 'city centre' of Medway" after a wave of business closures over the past year. As part of the plans, the amount of retail floorspace in the shopping centre will be reduced, and the Council is to shortly begin consulting with the current occupiers affected to establish whether they can be relocated elsewhere within the Pentagon. One of the options for alternative premises being considered by the Council is to form a "dedicated area" in the centre for charitable and other third sector organisations, which it claims would "complement" the public sector tenant and the civic uses in the pipeline. Although not yet known in detail, the cost of the first phase of redevelopment is expected to exceed £10 million, with some of the funding being provided by the prospective public sector tenant.
Further design work will also be undertaken thanks to supported funding from a number of sources, including the One Public Estate funding stream, Section 106 funds from developers, and additional funding from the Council's own Capital Programme with a budget of just over £5 million, should it be required. Some of the redevelopment plans may be funded by the nearly £9.5 million it will receive from the government's Future High Streets Fund, the Council suggests, which aims to transform high streets into vibrant hubs for future generations and to protect, and create, jobs. The latest revelation in the future of Chatham town centre comes nearly two years after Medway Council acquired the Pentagon Shopping Centre for nearly £35 million in April 2019. At the end of last year, the Council's own house-building firm - Medway Development Company (MDC) - submitted a planning application for permission to deliver 164 flats across the empty Mountbatten House office block and in an extension beside it. It has been a challenging period for Chatham, after big names such as Debenhams, GO Outdoors, KFC, and, more recently, Burton and Dorothy Perkins all permanently left the town centre. More hopeful signs are, however, in sight for the town centre, with Kent Reliance and Burger King having recently refurbished their branches in the High Street. The first phase of the Pentagon Centre's redevelopment will be discussed at the Medway Council Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, 30 March, starting at 3pm.
Dave
23/3/2021 20:41:52
Helped build Pentagon was there the day it opened used too meet girlfriend there after work used to have great shops there shame its gone down hill 23/3/2021 20:47:05
Those are some fantastic memories of the Pentagon, Dave! What was your role during the construction of the shopping centre?
Emma M
24/3/2021 08:11:11
I'm pleased this seems feasible with the funding options available, given the council has recently halted other project for financial reasons (Strood Riverside and Splashes redevelopment).
maxine caffell
24/3/2021 09:27:19
Clear the high street of unsavoury characters drunks and drug addicts the pentagon might revive again as now anyone says chatham its a no go area
Sergio
31/3/2021 20:49:58
I would bulldoze the entire high street and Pentagon shopping/car park complex.
Luigi Fan 2006
10/10/2021 20:28:39
Wasn't the mall already refurbished in the 90's? Comments are closed.
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