Six new tenants for Bradford’s ‘hole in the ground’ shopping centre

The long-awaited Broadway Bradford opens on Thursday November 5, the largest UK retail centre to launch this year, and the culmination of more than a decade of delays.

The new tenants, retailers Jack & Jones, Menkind, Accent, Aab, and Quiz, and Italian restaurant chain Zizzi, join high street giants Marks & Spencer and Debenhams as well as a host of other stores.

Work on the centre goes back as far as March 2004, when work began clearing the first city centre buildings on the site. However, retail giant Westfield mothballed the scheme in 2008 amid the credit crunch and subsequent recession. At the time Westfield said it had already spent £80m on the Broadway site and was committed to its future.

Building work began again in early 2014, and developers say the centre will propel Bradford up 59 places in CACI’s UK retail rankings, from 85th to 26th, with an associated increase in footfall across the city centre of 40 per cent.

Keith Mabbett, Director of Leasing at Westfield, said: “The Broadway will mark a step change in retail in Bradford, and I look forward to witnessing the customer reaction to the magnificent line up of retail and dining offers at the opening on Thursday November 5 and beyond.”

Bradford Council leader, Coun David Green, said: “There’s not long to go now before The Broadway opens and I’m sure locals and visitors can’t wait to get in there and see what the new shopping centre looks like.”