Animate, Preston’s city-owned £40M cinema and leisure complex, which is being delivered by Maple Grove Developments, has announced The Arc Cinema as the scheme’s second anchor tenant for a new eight-screen cinema.
The news comes after the Leach Rhodes Walker-designed mixed-use scheme was given the go-ahead by the Council’s planning committee last month. The Arc Cinema has taken 29,500sq ft offering a total of eight screens and joins fellow anchor tenant Hollywood Bowl which committed to a 16-lane, 20,300sq ft at Animate in November 2021. Located on the city’s former indoor market, Animate will also include a food hall, new restaurants and bars and public realm.
Speaking about the letting, Andrew Dewhurst, Development Director at Maple Grove Developments, commented: “It couldn’t be better news to have a cinema operator join the tenant line up at Animate. With planning now secured, working with Preston City Council, we now have the confidence to press on with the detailed design in readiness for a construction start. In addition to The Arc Cinema, four of the restaurant units are now under offer and we expect to be able to announce more names throughout the spring. Our aim is to start on site in October this year with practical completion due in summer 2024.”
