Media centre

Thursday 24 Oct 2013

Grand Central at 80% as White Company leads the way

Region & Route:

As the shape of Grand Central starts to make its mark on the Birmingham city skyline, the leasing is also gaining momentum, with The White Company, L’Occitane, Kiehls and a wide range of restaurants now exchanged.

The news that 80% of floor space in the shopping centre is already signed, or under offer, is accompanied by the announcement that Grand Central, to be situated directly above the stunning rejuvenated New Street station, will open in 2015.

Leasing Director for Grand Central Keith Stone says: “We are delighted with the significant progress we are making. The Grand Central offer will have a hugely positive impact on the city’s retail attraction and will bring in much new spend and new customers. With over 50 million people a year visiting Grand Central and the Station, we will have some of the highest pedestrian flows in the country. To have nearly 80% signed or under offer at this stage is a great endorsement of the project. The commitment of premium retailers such as White Company, L’Occitane and Kiehls and the overwhelming demand for the restaurants and cafes from some truly great brands heralds the prospective success of this new retail destination in the heart of the city.”

One of the first retailers to exchange is The White Company with a 4,150 sq ft store in the scheme.

This is the first stand alone store in the city for The White Company, heralded as one of the UK’s fastest-growing, award-winning multi-channel retailers, and will enable them to showcase a more comprehensive product range to West Midlands customers than has previously been possible.

The White Company Head of Property Sarah King says: ‘Grand Central was the obvious choice for our first stand alone store in Birmingham, being located at the heart of the city’s retail offer, with such a strong anchor, and alongside other premium brands that will be new to the city. We are most impressed with the project which will have a significant impact on shopping patterns in the city centre.”

Virtually all available restaurants and cafes are now signed up or under offer. First to exchange and making their debut in the city with a Grand Central Birmingham offer are: Vietnamese restaurant Pho, the Mexican and Spanish brands Tortilla and Tapas Revolution, Fuel juice bar, Crepe Affaire and Caffe Concerto. They will join Yo! Sushi, Giraffe and Carluccios, who will be opening their largest Birmingham restaurant within the scheme.

Speaking about their first offering outside London and the South East, Pho MD, Stephen Wall says: “Since opening London’s first Vietnamese street food restaurant in Clerkenwell in 2005, we have expanded with a further 6 restaurants in London, and one in Brighton. In moving out into the regions, Grand Central Birmingham was the ideal location for us – a visionary design and great central location, plus the vibrancy of the view over the busiest rail concourse outside London all makes a great setting.”

It is expected that the exact opening date for Grand Central will be confirmed in early 2014 once the project’s key engineering milestones have been achieved.

Chris Montgomery, Network Rail project director said: “The redevelopment of New Street station and Grand Central will provide a world class transport and retail hub for the people of the West Midlands and beyond and when Grand Central opens, many customers will be coming into the city for the first time in many years.

“We want to deliver an experience that surpasses all their expectations. Having reviewed how the centre and the station will work alongside each other, we’re confident that a more aligned opening in 2015 will allow customers to experience the full impact of the stunning open atrium design from day one .”