Department store on Hereford's multi-million pound complex on schedule

8:00am Friday 8th March 2013 in News

How the Old Livestock Market will look when finished How the Old Livestock Market will look when finished

DEVELOPERS behind Hereford’s multi-million pound retail complex are on course to hand over to the scheme’s landmark department store later this year.

Project manager George Ray says Debenhams will move onto the Old Livestock Market (OLM) in October to begin its six month shopfitting.

The three-storey branch is a linchpin of the £90 million scheme, set to feature a multi-screen Odeon cinema, Waitrose supermarket, Next clothing shop and about 20 further shops and seven restaurants.

Developers say hundreds of new jobs will be created.

Construction work began last month following the demolition of the former cattle market buildings and Garrick House council offices. The whole development is set to be up and running by Easter 2014.

“Progress on site has been great,” said George Ray, project manager with Sir Robert McAlpine.

“It’s an exciting time for the construction team as the development really starts to take shape over the coming months, and Herefordians will begin to see buildings erected in the spring.”

He said the concrete cores of shops and restaurants would become visible in the coming weeks.

After Easter, the steel structures of each building will be visible before half a million bricks are laid in late spring.

Comments(26)

TwoWheelsGood says...
9:05am Fri 8 Mar 13

'Developers say hundreds of new jobs will be created'. But Jarvis has told us repeatedly and unequivocally, in his attempts to justify this scheme, that 'over a 1000' jobs will be created. Who's telling us the truth I wonder.

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silentbull says...
9:33am Fri 8 Mar 13

Im glad its being built on after years of neglect
But my worry is will anybody turn up???
Without 'car parks' how are the council planning on attracting people from outside the city to shop here??

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fmrbill says...
10:53am Fri 8 Mar 13

OH WHOPPEEEE i cant wait. looks like some one been down widemarsh street and taken a pic of the view looking down towards maylord orchard ( Shopping centre ) isnt it that is also dying on its feet

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courtesycall says...
10:57am Fri 8 Mar 13

Over a 1000 jobs = at least ten hundreds. Both the developers and Jarvis are telling the truth.

The only difference is in presentation

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mizza21 says...
11:15am Fri 8 Mar 13

Does Hereford have the footfall to justify this?
fmrbill I don't think the Maylords os a fair comparison, but after the initial rush for a few months I'm not sure Hereford has sufficient influx to justify a three story Debenhams and all the other units.
I may well go to the cinema but like a lot of folk in Herefordshire I prefer not to use the horrendous chain stores with their mass produced far eastern imports.

Yet again the Hereford Times has covered this press release from the developers with the aplomb and outdone itself in presenting a balanced story.

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bobby47 says...
12:33pm Fri 8 Mar 13

Bloody Jarvis! He's all over the place and into bloody everything.
It wouldn't surprise me to hear he delivered the Ad Mags.
There's no escaping his bloody presence or his stranglehold on all our lives. He's so relentless. Just when we've swallowed yet another bucket of bovine urine, he comes up with something else that makes you want to open a bloody vein.
This is an extraordinary man with huge reserves of will power, inner strength and thick skin and anyone who dreams hell go away anytime soon is an optimistic ninny.
And what happens when this build is near to completion?
I'll tell you. He'll have the place named after him. It'll be Jarvis Way, Jarvis Avenue and when the bloody monsoon season arrives and Merton Meadow is under water because of the blocked bloody vegetation, it'll be Jarvis bloody Lake.
And as for the lovely picture? There's no denying its a lovely picture. You'd be a fool so say otherwise but, I see no shell suits, nobody walking a rabid pit bull and there's no sign of black billowing clouds full of more bloody water.
We are bloody doomed and our end is bloody nigh! He won't go! He will never go! And anyone who thinks otherwise disagrees with me.

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William Rudd says...
12:50pm Fri 8 Mar 13

Without 'car parks' how are the council planning on attracting people from outside the city to shop here
600 spaces at Multi story,
600 car park spaces on the development and a roof top car park on Debenhams/Waitrose.

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TwoWheelsGood says...
2:10pm Fri 8 Mar 13

But, Wm Rudd, with Merton Meadow to be sold to private developers, that's going to remove 763 spaces. On an average weekday there are in the region of 600 cars parked in the car park and surveys indicate that around 450 of these are commuters. Where will they all go? Not high cost, short stay multi storey for sure.

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mizza21 says...
2:57pm Fri 8 Mar 13

Bobby. Has Merton Meadow ever flooded?
I know you refer to it as a flood plain, but it seems a bit a way off from the river to be flooded.

Perhaps the HT has some research in their, no doubt extensive, archives which they could produce to suggest the likelihood of flooding on this site.
I know I'd be interested, possibly even interested enough to purchase a copy at it competitive new price of a paltry £2.60

Well, the Multi storey is going to be "up on the blocks" for a while while it's tarted up and underpinned, just like the wife. (Oh god I'm so sorry I just couldn't stop meself)

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TwoWheelsGood says...
3:50pm Fri 8 Mar 13

Merton Meadow floods regularly - the Yazor Brook which abuts is usually responsible. Why else would there be a Yazor Brook Toad Sexing Association? 'Meadow' and 'Wide Marsh' - all clues to the eduring water bound nature of the ground that even £4m of concrete won't rid. There you are, no need to spend £2.80 on the HT after all!

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mizza21 says...
4:36pm Fri 8 Mar 13

Genius, thanks TWG.
I will still get out a handful of coins for the HT though.
I'm not sure what I'd do if I couldn't read the fascinating editorials and gripping reports of local news and events.
A bargain surely at just £3

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littlewhitebull says...
9:19pm Fri 8 Mar 13

The HT at £3.00, £2.80 and £2.60!
What's going on? The boss only gave me £1.20 to buy one last Thursday - I'm getting very confused. Have I been swindled?
I've had enough - off to pub.

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dippyhippy says...
10:36pm Fri 8 Mar 13

Tee Hee Mizza! You're love of the Hereford Times knows no bounds! They will be offering you a job next!
Bobby,loved your post from earlier,just one thing, the phrase you used "optimistic ninny!" That wouldn't be me by any chance would it???!!!I
I like it - so much in fact that I would like it included in my epitaph !!
Seriously though, I would much prefer to keep 14 Lime Trees,than gain one department store,some things are irreplaceable.....th
is council know the value of nothing.

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bobby47 says...
12:23pm Sat 9 Mar 13

Not at you Dippy. Never. Ever!

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bobby47 says...
12:57pm Sat 9 Mar 13

Sweet Loving Jesus! I've just read Mizza's piece implying Im an embellisher regarding the bloody water.
I'll be damned if I sit back silently and have my good name dragged through the Merton Mud and be accused of embellishing an embellishment.
There's only one thing worse than the whole embellishing issue and that's a bloody Flood Deny'er.
And this, from a man who'd have us sat in his Ark as we floated past the Treacle Mine.
False Prophet!!!

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dippyhippy says...
2:23pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Awww, Bobby, are you sure?? I just think,"DippyHippy,Op
timistic Ninny"has such a lovely ring to it!! I felt sure it was the perfect description of me!
Totally agree with the above post-and to think,we were all lining up for a place on that ark......

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mizza21 says...
10:22pm Sun 10 Mar 13

Bobby, I honestly did not know about the flooding. I defer to your kingly wisdom on the matter.

At least now I know where to put my Ark.
Merton Meadow seems appropriate and when the Yazor Brook does overflow it's banks you're all invitied.

I shall require the services of the Toad sexers too, if I am not to end up with an 2 males or 2 females.
Perish the thought..

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Biomech says...
12:58am Mon 11 Mar 13

They do know it isn't built yet right? Heh, to be honest, if they can build a shopping complex in 6 months, I will be impressed and offer them my kudos.

If I were a property developer/investor, I certainly wouldn't be buying a place on Merton Meadow with its history of flooding. Not as things are now at least

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Grid Knocker says...
7:52am Mon 11 Mar 13

"Debenhams will move onto the OLM in October to begin shopfitting...". Shouldn't that read: "Stanhope's hand-picked contractors will begin shopfitting the department store for tenant Debenhams at council taxpayers' expense"?

It's an open secret in the world of retailing that the big high street names get their units fitted out for them foc. So some of that £500K 'bung' which Stanhope squeezed out of Johhn Jarvis (like pips out of a lemon) will be used for this work. And whose money was it you gave away Councillor Jarvis? Ours!

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whitecross willy says...
8:36am Mon 11 Mar 13

just noticed the new car park that has been laid off blackfriars st ,lovely bit of tarmac and pot hole free.im gonna try and sneek my car on just for the ride.

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bobby47 says...
12:35pm Mon 11 Mar 13

Whitecross Willy is right. It's a lovely bit of Tarmac. As soon as I saw it I thought, ' Hi up. Thats a lovely bit of Tarmac'.
It's the sort of Tarmac you see, examine and mutter, 'Goodness what a lovely bit of tarmac.'
I mean, you'd be a fool to think otherwise. It's been a long time since I've seen Tarmac like this and after viewing this lovely piece of Tarmac, you'll carry away with you one sure certainty.
Bloody Amey didn't lay it!

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Biomech says...
1:37pm Mon 11 Mar 13

I, too, thought it was a lovely piece of tarmac. For just a moment I thought "why can't they do that on Merton Meadow?", then slapped myself for being so stupid. It's a temporary carpark so they will be using temporary tarmac. Looks nice, but won't last - which, I should add, is absolutely fine in this instance.

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Biomech says...
1:38pm Mon 11 Mar 13

..oh look. The HT and deleted all of the discussion on the May Fair article...

I guess when they fight for a "Free Press", it's only applicable to themselves.

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littlewhitebull says...
7:34pm Mon 11 Mar 13

Free press, Biomech! It costs £1.20 now - a massive 50% increase.
Sorry, I need to keep mentioning it in the vain hope that the HT will explain this increase. Other newspapers usually say: "we regret to say that from next week, our cover price will increase from £1.00 to £1.10" etc.

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whitecross willy says...
10:51pm Mon 11 Mar 13

l w b can you imagine if they put the price of unleaded upto £2.10 per ltr there would be uproar.(well probably not we,d just rollover and pay it) .take the property/motoring out of the ht and what have you got? THE JOURNAL and thats free. nuff said.

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Grid Knocker says...
9:00am Tue 26 Mar 13

Small point about how Hereford Futures are bigging up its housing on the Merton Lakes. Don't take any notice of the HT's splash (oops, sorry!) treatment of the Sanctuary news. Here are the true facts: an outline planning application for only 180 houses is about to go in after Easter. But (and here's the rub) work will only begin on the 35% affordable units (ie 63 dwellings), whilst 'the private sector' (aka avaricious blood-sucking builders) will wait for market conditions to improve before commencing the other 117 units.

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