Cheshire East council has started to look for a development partner to work on all or part of the redevelopment of the Royal Arcade site in Crewe town centre.
The council said the search was the result of informal discussions with developers over the summer, which showed a strong interest in Crewe from developers and investors.
The council is proposing to create a new stakeholder panel with an independent chair – similar to that established for Macclesfield – to oversee the redevelopment site alongside other aspects of the town centre’s regeneration.
The council purchased the Royal Arcade site, which includes the bus station and 26 retail units along Queensway and Victoria Street, in April. Previous plans for the Delamere Place retail and office scheme stalled in 2009.
Councillor Don Stockton, cabinet member in charge of regeneration and assets, said: “We’ve already secured millions of pounds of investment for the town centre through the new Lifestyle Centre and the University Technical College, which will both open in 2016. There is also the prospect of significant investment and growth should Crewe be selected for a new HS2 North West gateway rail hub.
“This is the latest piece in the jigsaw and builds upon strong interest expressed from leisure operators, who share our vision for Crewe.”
