According to letting director Tim Buckley, Multiplex and its development partner Aldersgate Investments secured the bulk of lettings early in the development process, and this means the scheme is now more than 90 per cent let by floorspace.

"Almost all of the space now has a name on it," he says. "Retailers have really bought into the offer. They realise that this scheme is going to almost double High Wycombe's sales from £290m to £500m a year."

In addition to the House of Fraser and Marks & Spencer anchors, the fashion line-up is led by Zara, Bershka, Topshop, Next, River Island, Gap and H&M. And smaller units have attracted names like Swarovski, Sunglass Hut, Billabong, LK Bennett, Jane Norman and Pumpkin Patch.

The scheme's open-air format is also proving a draw to retailers, with the service charge budget currently standing at just £6.50 per sq ft.

A glance at High Wycombe's street map shows how Eden is taking up a large slice of the town centre, and in all it will provide 825,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space of which more than 600,000 sq ft is new space.

Centre director Daniel Tomkinson was recruited from BAA to manage the process of absorbing the Octagon into Eden, and then to take over management of the entire completed scheme. His biggest headache has been keeping the existing mall trading while it undergoes an £11m refit.

"It's meant all night working, to replace all the floors and ceilings," he explains. "Every morning I come in and the centre's changed a bit more."

To ensure that the look and feel of Eden is reflected in the older space, a dramatic new main entrance is being created off the High Street, leading into a bright atrium which is in direct contrast to the former layout where shoppers' sightlines as they entered the centre were blocked by a staircase leading to the gallery level.

The design, by Leslie Jones, aims to remove some the clutter from the original 1970s design, with brighter light levels and improved sight lines. "It's going to be very clean and bright," Tomkinson forecasts.

And even though he had 600,000 sq ft of new space to lease, Buckley was keen not to cannibalise the existing centre. "Only half?a-dozen retailers are relocating," he says, "and most of their units are already under offer." For instance Claire's Accessories will be replaced by F Hinds Jewellers and New Look, which is upsizing from 2,500 to 14,000 sq ft, will be replaced by C&J Clark.

New leisure provision was an important part of Wycombe Council's vision for the Eden site, and the scheme will provide a 12-screen Cineworld multiplex and an 18-lane AMF bowling alley. Buckley says Cineworld is using the scheme to test a new format with private VIP boxes accessed from an exclusive bar on the scheme's top level, offering spectacular views over the town.

Equally important is accessibility. The centre's new bus station has been open for a year now, and next Spring it will feed directly into the main mall. In addition 600 new car spaces are being built at Eden, complementing the existing 750 over the Octagon. With 250 spaces above the adjoining Tesco store and 1,000 planned for the Sainsbury's development opposite, the scheme will be able to draw on over 2,500 parking spaces.

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