Twenty years on - The Galleries, Bristol
Published: 10 February, 2011
The Galleries in Bristol has just changed hands again, as it tries to find a new niche in the shadow of the nearby Cabot Circus.
Atime capsule containing items donated by local schoolchildren was laid under the flooring of the main entrance of The Galleries shopping centre in Bristol, now The Mall, when the foundations were put in on 6 July 1989.
The centre, developed by Norwich Union, opened on October 15 1991, some 15 months later than scheduled and with only 26 of 110 units open for business, after a fire and construction problems set the £120m project back.
Joint lettings agents Hartnell Taylor Cook and Clive Lewis & Partners expected 51 of the units in the 320,000-sq ft scheme to be fitted out and in operation by Christmas that year.
Architects Leslie Jones and designers Crighton McColl came up with a theme designed to celebrate Bristol’s engineering and nautical history while insuring the interior didn’t detract from the retail units.
In 2004, the centre – managed by Jones Lang LaSalle and asset managed by Morley – was bought by The Mall Corporation, at the time boasting 99 per cent occupancy and weekly footfall ranging from 250,000 to 450,000.
In 2007–2008 the complex underwent a minor facelift, including a new paint job and relocation of the lifts.
Current tenants include Boots, WHSmith, Miss Selfridge, H Samuel, Thomas Cook, Footlocker, Lush, Thornton’s and Gap.
“Over the last 20 years, Bristol has changed dramatically, notably with the opening of Cabot Circus in 2008, and we are excited to be at the heart of the South West’s prime shopping destination,” said centre manager, Colin Lang, who joined The Galleries in 1998.
Early this month it was announced that Capital & Regional and Aviva’s Mall Fund had sold the centre to HSBC European Active Real Estate Trust for £50.2m.
Lang said: “Over recent years, investment has meant the introduction of new customer facilities and the redevelopment of numerous areas of the centre and we are looking forward to working alongside the new owners to further develop the scheme as an integral part of the city centre retail offer.”
