Work on Walsall town centre Vue cinema to start within months
Work on a new cinema in Walsall town centre will begin within months after contracts were exchanged for the multi-million pound development, it was announced today.
Cordwell Property Group is the first of two developers planning cinemas in the town to announce a deal has been struck.
This paves the way for building work to begin.
The nine screen Vue cinema will open in Littleton Street next to Tesco in Spring next year council officials revealed today.
Construction is due to begin in Easter and the scheme will help create more than 200 new jobs.
New restaurant space will also be built as part of the £12million project known as The Littleton Centre.
It will be the first cinema in the heart of the borough for more than 20 years after the old ABC in Park Street closed in 1993.
Walsall Council's regeneration chief Councillor Adrian Andrew, said: "We're delighted that we've been able to contribute to securing this cinema in Walsall town centre, the first for 20 years, and I'd like to congratulate Cordwell and Vue Cinemas for working together with partners to bring this about."
Together with the signing of Vue, Cordwell have also exchanged a development and funding agreement with London based partners Bride Hall.
Tom Wilcox, who is development director of Cordwell, said a contractor to build the new cinema will be appointed in the near future.
He added: "We are obviously delighted to finally get Vue signed up, as well as having Bride Hall as our partner to ensure this project delivers.
"In addition to this we have nearly half of our ground floor restaurant space under offer, in legals, and we envisage the remaining units will see strong take up following this positive news."
It will fit in with the long-term £400m Gigaport scheme which aims to create a business and office corridor through the heart of the borough.
It comes after a cinema war was sparked in the town last summer as rival plans for an Odeon at the Walsall Waterfront also received planning permission from Walsall Council.
This was despite concerns there was not enough demand for both firms to move into the area.
Kier Property put forward plans for an Odeon as the focal point of a separate £12m development at Walsall Waterfront which would have included bars and restaurants near the canalside.
The developer declined to comment on the scheme today.
