£50million development plans for Plymouth city centre
A MASSIVE hotel, leisure and residential development worth £40-£50million is planned for Plymouth city centre.
Agents Vickery Holman are looking for an operator for a planned 138-bedroom hotel, The Athenaeum.
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DESIGNS: An artist's impression of how The Athenaeum hotel could look
Dave Cole, head of Vickery Holman's hotel and leisure department, said the hotel would be part of a much larger scheme including shops and restaurants, student accommodation, a cinema, offices and apartments.
Mr Cole said that the developers, Blakesley Estates, were in advanced talks with Plymouth City Council and a planning application was imminent.
"The hotel plan has been put to all the major national groups and we are in preliminary talks with a couple of operators," he said.
"This is an opportunity to operate a new 138-bedroom hotel in a prominent position, close to Plymouth city centre within an exciting new leisure quarter proposed for the city."
The hotel could be anything from three to five stars, depending on what the eventual operator wanted.
Mr Cole said they would consider anything from a shell to be completed by the operator, to a bespoke 'turn key' arrangement.
Plans for a new cinema also depended on finding a suitable operator, Mr Cole said.
The cinema would not be a multiplex, he said, though he would not comment on how many screens it might have. "We are looking at the post-recession future," Mr Cole said. "We are looking at delivering in about two years."
The development site is behind the Plymouth Athenaeum and the planned Derry's Cross Oceanique development by Devington Homes.
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by Matt, Plymouth
Tuesday, October 13 2009, 10:53PM
“More development of any sort will help to boost the local economy and create work. More capacity by adding hotels will bring more business to the area as well as tourism. Any investment in the area is a good thing because Plymouth was a very run down city and it is now finally being dragged out of the muck. I agree that some stupid decisions have been made (civic center being listed for example) but we really shouldn't knock investors for trying to help improve the area. That being said, I can't for the life of me see why all of the plants are gradually being removed from the city center by the council in their ongoing exploits. They were the one thing that masked the dirge on the fascias of all the crummy buildings.”
by BGW, Plymouth
Tuesday, March 10 2009, 10:15PM
“Development? Yes, by all means. However, in order to use a hotel to full capacity, we do need to look at making our city something worth visiting first. Having lived the most part of my life in Hamburg, I know a thing or two about a functioning and attractive city centre and Plymouth has not got that at all. After work shopping, a glass of wine and a chat...you're having a laugh! Everything shuts at 5:30, if you happen to be in a café at 5 p.m. the staff make it very clear they want you out NOW so they can shut up shop, our city is being disfigured by hideous buildings that do not fit in. Get rid of that stupid shop thing in the Barbican (used to be the glass place, now Edinburgh wool something or other, I think) and have a proper maritime museum in line with Plymouth's history. We are very blessed to have a city whose location is so unique but are we capitalising on that fact? Even the shopping area in the city centre is a disgrace: ground floor shop windows fine, but look above to first and second floors - dirty, neglected, eyesores wherever you look. A bit like a beautifully turned out woman in stylish clothes but with tattered and dirty underwear. I suggest before PCC engage in any more planning (if you can call it that), they take a few field trips to the continent and get a few pointers! I am not even a Plymothian, but I really like this city and it breaks my heart seeing it so badly treated and never coming into its own. What a place this could be, with such a WOW factor, but sadly this is not going to happen because we have no one in charge who has vision and wants to build on this city's heritage. And a new hotel complex is not going to change that, sorry folks.”
by Hannah, Saltash
Tuesday, March 10 2009, 9:50PM
“Yay! im glad they will be building more to make the city more attractive, just a little dishearted that its only a hotel and another cinema ect.....
i would love to see a more designer area to plymouth. Somewhere where its lit up at night with many "eat outside" gardens! just somewhere exciting to go really!
When my boyfriend and i decide to go out for the evening it feels like we're approached with the same choices...... (cinema, restaurants, bowling, ice skating, gym, swimming) why cant we have an outside movie center like the americans?!?!?!”
by Lissie, cornwall
Tuesday, March 10 2009, 9:01PM
“Now I know why I moved to Cornwall to spend my retirement!”
by Edward, Plymouth
Tuesday, March 10 2009, 7:59PM
“Tim - Economics Student...it probably is a good idea that you do "shut up" as you appear to think that developers' returns are dinted by opinion voiced on local news paper chat rooms.
The opinions of a few xenophobic idiots on here are equally well countered by informed conjecture and positive input.
Plymouth is more than deserving of investment in order that it can move beyond its current position. It looks set to provide strong fiscal returns for the right projects in the right locations.
Much of the sentiment on here is broadcast by - dare I say it - working class Brits who have seen nothing but closures and industrial belt tightening. Is it any wonder why there is so much bad feeling?”