Expert firms to seek leisure investors to deliver Blackpool Central

Two international property experts have been recruited with a mission to get the stalled Blackpool Central leisure development back on track.

The key regeneration site has been placed back on the market following the dramatic collapse of a £300m leisure project last year.

Now Blackpool Council has appointed global commercial real estate advisory firm Newmark and Spanish architectural practice theleisureway to help it create a new vision for the 10-acre site.

The two companies have been selected following an open tender process. The potential of the Blackpool Central site was highlighted at the international property event MIPIM earlier this year.

The site has outline planning permission for indoor attractions, hotels and restaurants, as well as full planning permission to create a heritage quarter with a food and drink hall, aparthotel and retail space.

The viability of those proposals will be considered as part of a full review on how to deliver a “world-class leisure offer” for the site.

The collapsed project aimed to create a year-round world-class leisure destination just off the resort’s famous Golden Mile. It was hailed as “one of the UK’s most important regeneration projects.”

The plan was to create up to 1,000 jobs, bring an estimated 600,000 additional visitors each year, and boost annual spend in the resort by £75m.

Nikal, the developer behind the plan - described as the largest single investment in the town for more than a century – appointed administrators last year.

The collapse of the Nikal project was the latest setback to plans to regenerate the former railway station site. It was once earmarked for a Las Vegas style ‘super casino’.

Announcing the appointment of the two companies, Councillor Lynn Williams, leader of Blackpool Council, said: “Blackpool Central sits right at the heart of our plans to make Blackpool better for everybody.

“I believe that this has the potential to be one of the most exciting investment sites in the country.

“We have made huge strides in the last few years, getting private sector investment to complete a new car park and knocking down the old courts building, both of which have been a blocker to development for decades.

“Given the location, it needs to be some form of leisure use, but we have an open mind about what exactly that could be, as long as it creates all year-round quality jobs and visitor experiences.

“The consultants have committed that, as with all our projects, they will speak to the community to understand what can have the biggest impact on the town.”

Will Chamberlain, associate director of new business in Newmark’s retail consultancy and analytics team, said: “Our ambition is to attract investment that activates the town’s vision and drives wider regeneration across Blackpool.

“This is a pivotal opportunity for Blackpool, and over the next 12 months, our focus will be on building momentum, engaging the right partners and laying the foundations for long-term success.”

Gastón Gaitán, founder and chief executive of theleisureway, said: “We understand leisure as an emotional state of mind, a way of feeling good. At Blackpool, we aim to not only create a destination of leisure, but rather a destination of life.

“This is an opportunity to create a new generation space, connecting with the town heritage, bringing global trends that attract both locals and tourists, and making an impact on local businesses.

“Blackpool has a unique personality and needs its own recipe. Our goal is to craft a tailor-made leisure ecosystem that blends with the surroundings and delivers an emotional and economical value that elevates the attractiveness of the area.”

Work to demolish the buildings and court was supported by a £6.95m government grant as part of the Blackpool Town Deal.