The flagship Elwick Place cinema, hotel and leisure development in the heart of the town centre is almost fully let, with contracts signed for more units during the latest lockdown.
The first phase of the council-owned 100,000 sq ft development was launched in December 2018, with a six-screen Picturehouse cinema and a 58-bedroom Travelodge hotel as its anchor tenants. The scheme – built on the site of a former cattle market in partnership with UK developer Stanhope PLC – also has a 282-space car park and is a stone’s throw from Ashford International station.
During later phases, efforts to attract restaurant and leisure businesses to fill the remaining eight units have continued against a backdrop of business uncertainty caused by Brexit, an accelerating decline in high street retail and the pandemic bombshell that has thrown the UK and its economy into turmoil.
This week the council announced that new tenants were now secured for all but one unit at the multi-million pound centre. Restaurant operators dominate, providing the people of Ashford with a wealth of new leisure choices just as we emerge from lockdown. And residents eagerly await details of what several other newly-signed tenants will be offering there.
In the last fortnight alone, three new restaurants have gone public. The Gastronomist with its open-flamed parilla (grill), family-friendly Italian restaurant Unita 4, and Matches Sports Bar, Grill & Social – heralded as the ‘ultimate sports bar experience’ – are all eager to open their doors to customers once restrictions permit.
Other new tenants are expected to make their opening plans public in the coming weeks.
