The council’s cabinet has rubber stamped the decision to remove the 210,000 sq ft West Orchards shopping centre, now owned by South African investor Ciref, from the first phase of the regeneration project and concentrate instead on a 22-acre site known locally as the South Precinct.
The South Precinct site comprises the Coventry Market, barracks car park and Bull Yard.
David Cockcroft, city centre director at the council, confirmed the decision: “Cabinet has backed plans to go south and we will now get on with getting a collaboration agreement together with landowners in the area including Aviva investors and Scottish Life.”
The council wants to form a joint venture with the landowners and report back to cabinet by March 2010. A development partner will be sought from Q3 2010 when the joint venture will go out to tender via the Official Journal of the European Union (OJEU).
US architect Jerde Partnership’s masterplan for the city’s regeneration envisages 2.2m sq ft of shops, 1m sq ft of offices and 2.5m sq ft of residential development.
