Mexican adds to project’s wave of success

Mexican food restaurant chain Chimichanga has agreed to take a unit at the Broad Street Plaza development, a project which is bringing jobs and investment to Halifax town centre. Chimichanga has secured a 3,400 sq ft unit over a 25-year lease, to open its first restaurant in the north of England.

The deal leaves just two units remaining at the leisure scheme which was officially launched last month with a screening of the latest James Bond film, Skyfall.

Other tenants who have moved into Broad Street Plaza include Vue Cinema, Frankie and Benny’s, Nando’s, TGI Friday’s, The Chinese Buffet, Wetherspoons, Harvester, Pizza Express and Pure Gym.

There is also a 100-bed Premier Inn hotel, a 429-space car park operated by APCOA, and an NHS drop-in centre.

Nick Ferris, a director at Jones Lang LaSalle, who secured the deal for landlord Gregory Projects said: “The letting to Chimichanga is fantastic news for the Broad Street Plaza scheme.

“The chain, which is part of the Prezzo organisation, has 22 outlets within the UK. The fact that this operator wants to be in Halifax shows the quality of the development and its tenant line-up, as well as the substantial customer base that Calderdale offers.”

Prezzo chief executive Jonathan Kaye said yesterday: “It is great to be part of such a wonderful development and an important aspect of Halifax’s future.”

Broad Street Plaza is one of the biggest mixed-use leisure schemes to be completed in the north of England since the global financial crisis started in 2008.

It is also the biggest regeneration development in Halifax for more than a decade, offering 280,000 sq ft of mixed use space.

The regeneration project by Gregory Projects, which is part of the Leeds-based Gregory Property Group, has created jobs at a time when many people working in the financial services sector face an uncertain future.

The Gregory Property Group is an award-winning property development and investment organisation that has been responsible for the regeneration of a number of derelict, brownfield sites in the North of England.

The company recently completed a £40m retail park at Foss Islands in York in partnership with City of York Council, which is anchored by Wm Morrisons and has been funded by Axa Sun Life.