In a bid to create a leisure and cultural hub at the heart of Middlesbrough, plans are underway to transform Captain Cook Square.
Middlesbrough Council acquired the shopping centre in 2020 as part of their strategic plan to invest in the town centre. The 400,000 sq ft is mostly retail space. Now, with funding from the Future High Streets Fund (FHSF), the council’s executive is considering a proposal to invest £9m to convert some of the traditional retail space into leisure venues, with a view to making the town centre location more sustainable.
In order to promote the town centre as a go-to destination, as well as restaurants and eateries, the current proposals include:
Middlesbrough, like so many other town centres, have seen a significant decline in footfall. The considerable costs of town centre locations and the lack of space has led to the expansion of retail parks. The ease of accessing out-of-town retail and leisure facilities has lured shoppers away from the city centre.
To tackle this trend the council have allocated £14.1m from the FHFS fund to draw people back into the town centre. £3.5m for residential property, £1.05m for transport improvements and £500k for cultural development and business support. It is hoped that increasing the number of people living and working in the city centre will boost footfall to the modernised, leisure driven Captain Cook Square.
Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston said, “By building a new urban community in the heart of town, we can boost our population and create an amazing town centre for the 21st century that will bring in visitors and spending.”
“It really is the game-changer that will underpin the town’s future success and prosperity.”
The proposals will be considered at a meeting of Middlesbrough Council’s Executive on Tuesday 13th April.