Buyers 'lined up' for Bargate mall (From Daily Echo)

it's dead in the water and has been for years

Just make it into a huge, multi-level ice rink... It's obviously what the people want!!

Nando's, Wagamama etc. that don't close at 7.30pm like in WestQuay!!

Stop moaning about an ice rink.
An ice rink will get opened and then close within a few years because it doesnt make money, every story on this site goes on about ice rinks...boring!

If you want to go ice skating go to basingstoke or travel east

Marlands has plenty of empty units they could move into, so whats the problem?

G0Rf wrote:
Stop moaning about an ice rink.
An ice rink will get opened and then close within a few years because it doesnt make money, every story on this site goes on about ice rinks...boring!

If you want to go ice skating go to basingstoke or travel east

I think you'll find that there is actually a lot of demand for an ice rink in the city...there always used to be one. If Southampton wants to have lots of people living in the centre they need things to do...ice rink, snow dome should all be available. I don't want to go to Basingstoke ever let alone ice skate there. We could have an ice hockey team with a decent stadium.

Shops in the Bargate won't work now as West Quay phase II is on it's way. The Bargate would only work if it was a big name department store or Boutique designer shops.

Debenhams needs to move into the centre.

allsaintsnocurves wrote:

G0Rf wrote:
Stop moaning about an ice rink.
An ice rink will get opened and then close within a few years because it doesnt make money, every story on this site goes on about ice rinks...boring!

If you want to go ice skating go to basingstoke or travel east

I think you'll find that there is actually a lot of demand for an ice rink in the city...there always used to be one. If Southampton wants to have lots of people living in the centre they need things to do...ice rink, snow dome should all be available. I don't want to go to Basingstoke ever let alone ice skate there. We could have an ice hockey team with a decent stadium.

Shops in the Bargate won't work now as West Quay phase II is on it's way. The Bargate would only work if it was a big name department store or Boutique designer shops.

Ice rink = chav central.

With the demise of the trad high street is the time to give entertainment a go instead of endless attempts to fill holes with shops.

Pay day loan shops springing up around the corner from Bargate says it all.

Wouldn't any potential buyer who wanted to keep it for retail with various shops rather have tenants already on site?
only if the potential buyers want to either take over the whole site for one company to operate from( Tesco's.Debenhams etc;) would they want no tenants.
Or a development company that wants to build more flats

allsaintsnocurves wrote:

G0Rf wrote:
Stop moaning about an ice rink.
An ice rink will get opened and then close within a few years because it doesnt make money, every story on this site goes on about ice rinks...boring!

If you want to go ice skating go to basingstoke or travel east

I think you'll find that there is actually a lot of demand for an ice rink in the city...there always used to be one. If Southampton wants to have lots of people living in the centre they need things to do...ice rink, snow dome should all be available. I don't want to go to Basingstoke ever let alone ice skate there. We could have an ice hockey team with a decent stadium.

Shops in the Bargate won't work now as West Quay phase II is on it's way. The Bargate would only work if it was a big name department store or Boutique designer shops.

There used to be one.... until it closed due to lack of interest.

What makes you think it'll work this time round?

demolish are replace with hotel and restaurants.... obvious that there is much too much retail space in Southampton and with high street retailing dying we need to re-invent the high streets in the UK... still can not believe the Marlands still trundles on , I have not been there for years...

You're missing out! Marlands is so much fun! And there's a lot more new and amazing stuff since you last went.....

Scott_OOOSH wrote:
Just make it into a huge, multi-level ice rink... It's obviously what the people want!!

Exactly! - that would be awesome!

business-guru wrote:
demolish are replace with hotel and restaurants.... obvious that there is much too much retail space in Southampton and with high street retailing dying we need to re-invent the high streets in the UK... still can not believe the Marlands still trundles on , I have not been there for years...

preferred it as manchester street & bus station ( good chippy there as well)

An entertainment centre/arcade/indoor paintball/lazerquest
/keep shake away/bowling alley/NO CINEMA/ no bars/pub(maybe juts one very expensive expensive one to stop drunken idiots ruining fun for families)/an indoor climbing wall... I could go on about the type of entertainment*pettin
g zoo* cough* ideas could be run fin that location and people/families would flock there. Its perfect and would give all the small shops in the vicinity/eastreet a boost. for their nieche products.

Especialy all the students who have money the government gave them they could spend there rather then at bedfords place consuming endless amounts of alcohol because there is nothing else to do...

And no ice rink or aquarium... much too expensive to run!

Unfortunately we all know it is going to be turned into a tesco or flats....

SimonOn
You are totally wrong.The Ice Rink in Southampton was not closed due to 'lack of interest'. The Council got rid of the Ice Rink & land to build houses on & promised as soon as possible to build another new Ice Rink
That was in 1988!!!! Since then Southampton Ice Dance & Figure Skating Club have fought tirelessly to get the Council to keep their promise.
Many times the Council has promised & told of new venues for one It has still not materialised yet.Youngsters need places to go.

linstrand wrote:
SimonOn You are totally wrong.The Ice Rink in Southampton was not closed due to 'lack of interest'. The Council got rid of the Ice Rink & land to build houses on & promised as soon as possible to build another new Ice Rink That was in 1988!!!! Since then Southampton Ice Dance & Figure Skating Club have fought tirelessly to get the Council to keep their promise. Many times the Council has promised & told of new venues for one It has still not materialised yet.Youngsters need places to go.

Paid for by who?

Ps. Blockbusters just gone into admin

linstrand wrote:
SimonOn
You are totally wrong.The Ice Rink in Southampton was not closed due to 'lack of interest'. The Council got rid of the Ice Rink & land to build houses on & promised as soon as possible to build another new Ice Rink
That was in 1988!!!! Since then Southampton Ice Dance & Figure Skating Club have fought tirelessly to get the Council to keep their promise.
Many times the Council has promised & told of new venues for one It has still not materialised yet.Youngsters need places to go.

sorry the Council? the top Rank suite which also covered the Ice rink & bowling alley(closed) site were owned by rank & they sold it for the money a housing developer would pay them.
At no point was any of those owned by the city council.
I use to go to both dance & Ice so please get these facts right

Scott_OOOSH wrote:
Just make it into a huge, multi-level ice rink... It's obviously what the people want!!

A great business opportunity for you - go ahead and do it!

They have been saying for years that there are new owners, or new plans etc etc etc, its hardly a surprise of its closure, it's not been the same for years.

The Gym in the bottom of the Bargate closed in August 2001. Its doors were taped up by the bailiffs that day.
The tape is still there.
Demand for space in that building has been low for ten years.
.
Frankly, with Morrisons opening in a couple of years time, pull the whole thing down and make it an open space linking East Street, Above Bar and the bottom of the parks.

Subject48 wrote:
An entertainment centre/arcade/indoor paintball/lazerquest

/keep shake away/bowling alley/NO CINEMA/ no bars/pub(maybe juts one very expensive expensive one to stop drunken idiots ruining fun for families)/an indoor climbing wall... I could go on about the type of entertainment*pettin

g zoo* cough* ideas could be run fin that location and people/families would flock there. Its perfect and would give all the small shops in the vicinity/eastreet a boost. for their nieche products.

Especialy all the students who have money the government gave them they could spend there rather then at bedfords place consuming endless amounts of alcohol because there is nothing else to do...

And no ice rink or aquarium... much too expensive to run!

Unfortunately we all know it is going to be turned into a tesco or flats....

Nothing else worthwhile to do in Southampton other than get ****-faced? I totally agree. Most of the pubs and bars are crap though.

kingnotail wrote:

Subject48 wrote:
An entertainment centre/arcade/indoor paintball/lazerquest


/keep shake away/bowling alley/NO CINEMA/ no bars/pub(maybe juts one very expensive expensive one to stop drunken idiots ruining fun for families)/an indoor climbing wall... I could go on about the type of entertainment*pettin


g zoo* cough* ideas could be run fin that location and people/families would flock there. Its perfect and would give all the small shops in the vicinity/eastreet a boost. for their nieche products.

Especialy all the students who have money the government gave them they could spend there rather then at bedfords place consuming endless amounts of alcohol because there is nothing else to do...

And no ice rink or aquarium... much too expensive to run!

Unfortunately we all know it is going to be turned into a tesco or flats....

Nothing else worthwhile to do in Southampton other than get ****-faced? I totally agree. Most of the pubs and bars are crap though.

Mayflower,Nuffield & Guildhall all putting on shows & featuring all genres of music?
Rowing Clubs, bike clubs( pedal & Motor) & various sports clubs?
Yes nothing else to do but get drunk or maybe high?

This is ridiculous that such a fuss is being made. What 'traders' are in there to get upset.
I worked in the Bargate for three years until three years ago, and it was dying and empty then!
Surely any traders left can't realistically think it is viable to keep such a dead-end mall open...?
I am amazed no-one has come to a decision about this yet. As far as the council, the owners, the city business leaders, image managers and everyone is concerned it has to be re-developed.
Would be interesting to know how come it has stayed open so long?

This and the East St Centre let the City down and hold back any plans to promote the city as a worthwhile shopping or visitor destination. Is there STILL no joined up thinking about moving Southampton forwards...?