Anyone alive between the years of 1778 (yes, it was that old) and 2021 will know Debenhams. The department store chain ruled British city centres for centuries, but even an institution that iconic could not survive the great death of the high street. When it shut up shop in May 2021, it left over 120 stores, and some very big boots to fill. Now, Wakefield’s old Debenhams is the latest to be given a new lease of life by developers.
The problem with Debenhams stores is that they are big. Like, really big, and usually right in the middle of town. Not many retailers can fill up their many vacant floors with goods, which means that many of them remain empty, even four years on. Marks and Spencer acquired a few, but according to data from the Guardian last summer, only a third have found new uses, and more than half remain completely empty. With little investment from traditional department stores, some developers have had to be creative about how to fill the space.
In Bristol, for instance, the ground floor has been repurposed as a Skate Park, which is a very Bristolian approach to renovation. Wakefield is going for a similarly fun-filled solution, turning its old Debenhams, inside the Trinity Walk Shopping Centre (in the above picture you can sort of see it at the back, if you squint really hard), into a bowling alley by Tenpin.
The entertainment venue will have 24 lanes, a purpose-built arena for laser tag, escape rooms, an arcade, and a bar serving food and drinks. Local councillor Michael Graham voiced his excitement for the development, saying; ‘I’ve been clear about the importance of getting new leisure and entertainment options into the city and I know it’s something residents want to see too.
‘It’s been an ambition of mine to see a bowling centre open right in the heart of Wakefield, so it’s incredibly exciting to be welcoming Tenpin.’
No dates have been given for when work will begin, so it could be a little while until the people of Wakefield, including Mr Graham, can practice their strikes. Until then, we’ll be on the lookout for more ex-Debenhams getting the TLC they deserve.
Time Out and the high street
We like to keep up to date on the comings and goings (let’s be honest, mostly goings) of the UK high street. For instance, recently Hobbycraft announced that it would be closing nine stores, and WH Smith will be saying goodbye to 11. On the bright side, B&M, M&S, and Asda are all opening new shops this year.
One of the world’s 16 new UNESCO-designated geoparks is here in the UK.
England’s tallest water tower is set to reopen as a tourist attraction after a multimillion-pound revamp.
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