Broadmarsh facts for kids
Entrance to the Broadmarsh Centre from Low Pavement
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| Location | Nottingham City Centre, England |
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| Coordinates | 52°57′0″N 1°08′55″W / 52.95000°N 1.14861°W |
| Address | Lister Gate |
| Opening date | 1972 |
| Developer | Intu Group |
| Management | Intu Properties |
| Owner | Intu Properties (70%) Nottingham City Council (30%) |
| No. of stores and services | 55 |
| No. of anchor tenants | 5 |
| Total retail floor area | 45,000 m2 (480,000 sq ft) |
| No. of floors | 2 |
| Public transit access |
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Broadmarsh was once a large shopping centre in Nottingham, England. It was also known as The Broadmarsh Centre and later as intu Broadmarsh. This shopping centre was located just south of Nottingham city centre.
The land it stood on belongs to Nottingham City Council. The company that used to manage it, Intu Properties, faced financial difficulties. Because of this, the council is now asking people for ideas on how to use the land in the future. They want to find the best plan for this important city space.
Contents
The History of Broadmarsh Shopping Centre
Building a Shopping Centre in Nottingham
The Broadmarsh shopping centre was built in the early 1970s. This area was once very wet and marshy, which is how it got its name. Long ago, a religious building called Greyfriars, Nottingham (a Franciscan Friary) stood here. This old building was taken down in 1539. To make way for the new shopping centre, all the old buildings in the area were removed.
Discovering Nottingham's Hidden Caves
While preparing the ground for the shopping centre, workers found many hidden caves and cellars. These were dug into the soft sandstone rock beneath the city. Some caves were very old, while others were more recent.
The original plan was to destroy these caves during construction. However, local people and historians worked hard to save them. Their efforts helped protect these amazing underground spaces. Experts from Nottingham City Council's museums and local history groups carefully explored the caves.
Today, some of these caves are open to the public. You can visit them as part of the City of Caves museum. These caves are very important and are now protected as a special historical site.
Broadmarsh Opens Its Doors
The Broadmarsh shopping centre officially opened in 1975. It was first planned to be an "Arndale Centre," which is a type of shopping mall common in the UK. The car park linked to the centre is still called the Arndale Car Park. This car park was once even voted the "ugliest building in Nottingham"! In 1988, the centre got a big update to its look.
