Centre:mk to undergo £60m transformation

By

Barbara Santamaria

Published
Jan 16, 2017

Hermes and AustralianSuper have announced plans to invest £60 million in Centre:mk, Milton Keynes’ biggest shopping centre.

Over the next three years, the grade-two listed building is to undergo a series of upgrades focused on revamping the facilities and creating a modern look.

The £60 million investment programme includes the recently completed £10m refurbishment of Sunset Walk, designed by architecture and design company, Rawls. The next phase will see the development of new state of the art customer facilities on Deer Walk, including a customer service lounge, family facilities and WCs, together with work beginning this spring on a new 1,400 space multi–storey car park adjoining John Lewis.

The initiative, titled ‘Re-Imagining an Icon’, seeks to “re-equip the UK’s first listed shopping mall for the 21st century,” said Ed Sellick on behalf of Centre:mk’s joint owners.

“Centre:mk plays a significant role regionally  as we provide a critical mass and diversity of offer unavailable elsewhere,” added centre director Kevin Duffy. “These plans ensure Centre:mk is always relevant for the consumer and retailers and will create a refreshing, exciting and modern look and feel within the iconic destination.”

Centre:mk first opened on 25 September 1979. It is anchored by John Lewis, House of Fraser and Marks and Spencer, and has recently strengthened its line-up of premium brands with the arrival of Jigsaw, Hobbs, Joules, Cath Kidston, Kiehl’s, Molton Brown, The White Company and Pandora. All these retailers have opened stores on the new Sunset Walk in the past 18 months.

Other brands with a presence at the shopping centre include Next, River Island, Moss Bross, TK Maxx, JD Sports, Hawes & Curtis, Accessorize, Quiz and White Stuff.