Glass-roofed restaurant plan for Shrewsbury's shopping centre
A glass-roofed restaurant will be the icing on the cake of the multi-million pound refurbishment of Shrewsbury’s shopping centres, according to a council leader.
Councillor Peter Nutting, leader of Shropshire Council, has shared his vision for the council-owned centres and revealed aspirations to build a destination restaurant with panoramic views over the Shrewsbury skyline.
The restaurant will be built on top of the existing Pride Hill centre, with new life also to be breathed into the Darwin Centre while the Riverside Centre has been earmarked for demolition.
Councillor Nutting said: “We are going to start reconfiguring the Pride Hill Centre in the next couple of years.
“We think we can organise it so we can raise the roof and have a glass roof, with a restaurant overlooking the town.
“That is something that will draw people in, there is nothing else like it nearby.
“We are making progress and we are confident it will be possible.”
A £2 million renovation is about to get underway at the Darwin Centre, which will see level two, including the toilets, undergo a complete facelift.
The work, which will also include the creation of a family room and changing area, new shop fronts and replacement lighting, was due to begin on March 9 but has been put on hold due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Reputation
Councillor Nutting said: “The Darwin Centre is intended to be the main retail centre.
“We are about to spend money on level two, where the toilets are. That’s all going to be brought up to date.
“When you go around the country one thing you notice is the toilets and I want Shrewsbury to have a reputation for having good toilets. I am aware that’s not the case at the moment, some are appalling.”
Meanwhile the Riverside centre will be demolished as part of a masterplan for the Riverside Development Area (RDA).
The RDA covers approximately 9.5 acres and also includes Riverside Medical Practice, Raven Meadows multi-storey car park, Shrewsbury bus station, the bus layover site, Raven Meadows, Smithfield Road and the river frontage.
Councillor Nutting said: “We intend to demolish the Riverside and replace it and that work is progressing.
“It is likely that the multi-storey car park will need to come down and the bus station be relocated. We are hoping to get a major hotel on site.
“We have got two or three consultants looking at how we can redevelop that area.”
