Westgate Oxford Alliance’s £500M redevelopment of the Westgate Centre is set to see start of work on site in early 2015 following approval of detailed designs for the project by Oxford City Council.
The existing Westgate Centre will be completely refurbished with adjacent land to the south redeveloped. This 74,300 sq m retail-led mixed use scheme will provide space for shops, restaurants, cafés and leisure uses including a cinema, set in a mix of covered streets, arcades, lanes and squares.
The redeveloped Westgate will include a 13,000 sq m flagship John Lewis as its anchor department store, and is due to open in late 2017.
Brookfield Multiplex, Laing O’Rourke and Sir Robert McAlpine are understood to have submitted bids to carry out the main works. The existing project team consists of Mace as project planner, Davis Langdon as cost consultant, Waterman as structural engineer and Hoare Lea as utility and service engineers.
The Westgate Oxford Alliance is a JV between The Crown Estate and Land Securities. Alliance development manager Sara Fuge said: “We are delighted with the positive decision from Oxford City Council.
“We have been working hard over the last four years with local stakeholders to develop a scheme to deliver a world‐class retail and leisure destination for Oxford and now look forward to starting work early next year.”
Oxford City Council leader Bob Price said: “The City Council is satisfied with the detailed designs and we are delighted that the Westgate Oxford Alliance has brought four world renowned architectural practices on board, all of whom have excellent experience of designing high quality buildings in sensitive locations such as Oxford.”
Also set to be provided as part of the project are a two storey basement car park, cycle parking and 59 new homes.
