Leisure Complex Set To Light Up The City

Preston’s £45+ million Animate entertainment complex in the heart of the city will see construction finish on time at the end of October and is one step closer to creating a quality leisure destination for early 2025

The leisure complex is one of six major projects planned under Preston’s Harris Quarter Towns Fund Investment Programme, which was awarded £20.9m from the Government’s national Towns Fund initiative in March 2021.

The Harris Quarter – a unique part of the city centre – is now undergoing a £200m investment programme to transform its historic buildings, sites and public realm into a diverse culture, leisure and employment offering. Built by local construction firm Eric Wright Construction, Animate will play a central part in that programme to create an all-important leisure economy, which will have a ripple effect for years to come.

Chair of Preston’s Towns Fund Strategic Board, John Chesworth, discussed the vision for the city: “When designing the Towns Fund Investment Programme, we wanted to ensure that local people and businesses would benefit from transforming the city’s key assets in the Harris Quarter.

“As projects such as Animate are coming to life, they are creating real economic impact and we’re only at the start of what we’re looking to achieve. Having secured high-profile and established national leisure brands, Animate will provide an unrivalled offering of activities to drive footfall and wider economic benefits for Preston and surrounding areas. Our vision is to make the Harris Quarter a go-to cultural destination in Preston.”

Housed in the impressive building will be ARC Cinema, which will have a state-of-the-art eight-screen cinema sitting alongside Hollywood Bowl’s 16-lane bowling alley with a gaming zone. National restaurant chains have also given Preston a vote of confidence, with big names such as Zizzi, Cosmo and Loungers beating a path to the scheme. More importantly, North West leisure business Northern Lights Group has signed a 15-year lease to operate Animate’s food hall, which will have smaller units where local food businesses can rub shoulders with the national brands.

Brian Gilligan, director of ARC Cinema, saw Preston as its ideal location in the North West, which will follow its Yorkshire venue in Rotherham and opened in September. “We look for places that offer a vibrant community feel and Preston has that quality – it has a diverse population which provides an excellent audience base, plus geographically, it’s the perfect fit for us.

“We had been looking at locations in the North West that provide us with the opportunity to bring back to life an existing building or locate a venue in a new development with a strong leisure proposition. Animate has that in spades and the scheme provides all the right ingredients to draw people to the city centre – that’s another reason why we chose to come to Preston.

“We were also attracted to the city because of the wider regeneration plans that are in place, the investment that is coming into Preston and what’s planned for the future. We can see that the city is gaining momentum as a real draw for people to live, work and play in.”

Sitting alongside the revitalised Preston Market, Animate will undoubtedly add extra life to a section of the city that is seeing new residential living blossoming alongside local entrepreneurs opening up new food venues that skirt the complex.

Underpinning the scheme has been a commitment to ensure the wider community benefits from the Council-owned project through its Community Wealth Building model.

Councillor Valerie Wise, Cabinet Member for Community Wealth Building, Preston City Council, added: “Owned by the city council to benefit local people, Animate has involved local contractors and enhanced the skills and learning of young people with essential on-the-job experience.

“Crucially, such development and regeneration forms a key part of the council’s commitment to Community Wealth Building, designed to create a resilient and inclusive economy to benefit the whole area.”

So, as Maple Grove Developments, development partner of Preston City Council, completes its work and hands over Animate to the City Council, the leisure scheme will certainly bring more life to the Harris Quarter.

Nick Hague, director at Maple Grove Developments, concluded: “Animate is an exemplar of what can be achieved when the public and private sectors work together.”

investprestoncity.com

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