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 (also known as The Broadmarsh Centre and rebranded in 2013 as intu Broadmarsh) is a closed, partially demolished shopping centre located slightly south of the centre of Nottingham, England, on land owned by Nottingham City Council and formerly leased to Intu Properties.
Following Intu's financial collapse resulting in administration, the council are undertaking public consultations to find an acceptable outcome for evental redevelopment.
History
The shopping centre was built in the early 1970s in an area that was historically boggy ground, on the outskirts of the medieval town (hence the name). It was once occupied by the Franciscan Friary known as Greyfriars, Nottingham, which was dissolved in 1539. The area was cleared of all buildings to accommodate the new shopping centre.
During preparation of the site, many caves and cellars dug into the soft sandstone foundations of the city were rediscovered (both ancient and more recent). The caves were to be destroyed as part of the construction, but activism by residents and historians allowed the caves to be preserved. The caves were excavated by staff from Nottingham City Council's museums service and local history enthusiasts. Some are now open to the public as part of the City of Caves museum beneath the shopping centre, and are protected as a Scheduled Monument.
The centre, which opened to the public in 1975, was originally intended to be an Arndale Centre, and the associated parking structure – once voted the "ugliest building in Nottingham" – is still known as the Arndale Car Park. The centre underwent a major cosmetic refurbishment in 1988.
