The Broadway, Bradford facts for kids
Crowds waiting to watch Alexandra Burke open the centre on 5 November 2015
|
|
| Location | Bradford, England |
|---|---|
| Opening date | 5 November 2015 |
| Developer | Westfield Corporation/Meyer Bergman |
| Management | Munroe K |
| Owner | Ellandi |
| No. of stores and services | 82 |
| No. of anchor tenants | Next and Marks & Spencer |
| Total retail floor area | 570,000 sq ft (53,000 m2) |
| No. of floors | 1 and 570,000 Sq feet of retail spaces |
| Parking | 1300 chargeable parking spaces |
The Broadway is a big shopping and fun place in the middle of Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. It first opened its doors on 5 November 2015. A company called Westfield Corporation built it and ran it for the first year. Now, it's owned by Ellandi and managed by Munroe K Asset Management Ltd.
To build The Broadway, some old buildings were taken down and roads were changed in 2004. But the building work didn't really start until January 2014. For many years, the area was just a big hole in the ground! This "hole" was not popular in Bradford, and people even protested about it.
History of The Broadway
Back in 1998, a group called the Forster Square Development Partnership planned a large shopping center. It was going to have big stores like Debenhams, Next, and Marks and Spencer, plus 100 other shops and fun places.
The plan for the shopping center was approved on 10 September 2003. People hoped it would create 3,000 new jobs! Taking down the old buildings started on 18 March 2004. By mid-2006, the site was mostly empty, just a big pile of rubble.
They hoped the shopping center would open by late 2007. But there weren't enough big stores ready to sign up. Also, many workers were busy on another project. So, the start date for building was pushed back. The delays made the Bradford Council upset. They even said they might take control of the land back from Westfield if nothing happened.
In April 2010, after years of no building, the project was put on hold. Work began to turn part of the site into a temporary park. People who were unhappy about the lack of building even protested on the site. In January 2014, the park was taken down, and building work finally started again!
The Broadway officially opened at 10 AM on 5 November 2015. Singer Alexandra Burke opened it at one entrance. Other entrances were opened by people from Bradford City football club, the Bradford Burns Unit, and the world's longest-married couple, Karam and Kartari Chand.
In 2021, the Debenhams store closed because the company went out of business. In 2024, Marks and Spencer also announced they plan to leave the center.
Temporary Park
_001.jpg)
In February 2010, the Bradford Council decided to turn part of the building site into a temporary park. This was almost six years after the old buildings were taken down! The park had new paths, places to sit, grassy areas, and even small gardens for people to grow things. There was also a stage for performances.
Money for the park came from the government, a group called Yorkshire Forward, and the developers, Westfield. Work on the park started in April 2010. It was only meant to be there for a short time. The park closed on 6 January 2014, so that building work for The Broadway could finally begin.
Key Dates
.jpg)
Here are some important dates for The Broadway:
- 20 November 2007: Westfield set up offices and started preparing the site for building.
- August 2008: Still no official start date for building. Westfield was waiting for more big stores to agree to open there.
- January 2009: The site was just a big hole, and no one was working there.
- March 2009: It was announced that work was on hold until 2010 because of a difficult economic time called the recession.
- 20 May 2009: A local politician, Marsha Singh, asked the Prime Minister about the lack of progress.
- February 2010: Bradford Council announced plans for a temporary park on the site.
- April 2010: Work began on the temporary park.
- June 2011: Westfield planned a new, slightly smaller shopping center with 77 shops.
- October 2011: Bradford Council approved the new plans.
- July 2013: It was announced that building would restart in the second half of 2013.
- January 2014: The temporary garden closed so workers could start building The Broadway.
- May 2015: 75% of the building work was finished.
- 5 November 2015: The Broadway Bradford officially opened its doors with 73 shops!
Shops and Fun
When The Broadway first opened, its main big stores were Marks and Spencer and Debenhams. Other popular shops included HMV, Next, and H&M. Many of these shops moved from older parts of the city center.
The Broadway also has The Light Cinema, where you can watch movies. There's a food court with different places to eat. Plus, there's a multi-story car park for visitors.
Images for kids
-
Crowds waiting to watch Alexandra Burke open the centre on 5 November 2015
