The Guildhall Shopping Centre - What Next?

[Franklin_Delano_Roosevelt]

I thought it perhaps worth starting a thread on this. It seems that with the recent spate of High St closures or potential closures like JJB and HMV, Waterstones, the continued demise of the market etc the Guildhall is going through a slow death process that appears to be gathering pace. It will certainly become a whole lot faster if the reported rent increase happens. Perhaps it is all part of a bigger plan to clear the place out and start again, but what next?

Aside from the nostalgia for the old Market I would go with a new multiplex cinema and food outlets. I would steer clear of things that people can easily buy on the internet. You can't buy food (other than a takeaway pizza type of rubbish) or watch a cinema quality film on the internet. Nor have we got anything like this in the local area. I know that there is a certain fondness for the current old cinema but surely it isn't fit for purpose....

The town centre would benefit as the Guildhall occupies a great position at it's heart. It also has an inbuild carpark which this sort of development would require. It could be a winner. Any other thoughts?

 

[My Name is URL]

Forgot to mention previously.... if HMV / Millets et. al. are shutting down, would be 'nice' if someone good at photography could pop down and take some photos while they are still open.

For prosperity / "remember when" type discussions in future.... any volunteers?

 

[loveatfirstbite]

i love the idea of a foodcourt!

 

[Dabbler]

Agree, a foodcourt would be great, not sure about a cinema though. Aren't they in decline as prices go up and the cost of streaming films / Lovefilm type operations etc get cheaper?

I think the market is too out of the way to be prominent - in my view it should be outside in Market Square, Crabbery Street etc and the Guildhall must be ripe for a larger retailer to combine lots of that vacant space into one unit?

 

[andy w]

I thought it perhaps worth starting a thread on this. It seems that with the recent spate of High St closures or potential closures like JJB and HMV, Waterstones, the continued demise of the market etc the Guildhall is going through a slow death process that appears to be gathering pace. It will certainly become a whole lot faster if the reported rent increase happens. Perhaps it is all part of a bigger plan to clear the place out and start again, but what next?

Aside from the nostalgia for the old Market I would go with a new multiplex cinema and food outlets. I would steer clear of things that people can easily buy on the internet. You can't buy food (other than a takeaway pizza type of rubbish) or watch a cinema quality film on the internet. Nor have we got anything like this in the local area. I know that there is a certain fondness for the current old cinema but surely it isn't fit for purpose....

The town centre would benefit as the Guildhall occupies a great position at it's heart. It also has an inbuild carpark which this sort of development would require. It could be a winner. Any other thoughts?

Totally agree with you as the bottom end could be shuttered up from the shops in the evening and have the car parking. That said you're talking about major investment and some major brands would need to be signed up for such a scheme to go ahead

 

[ATJ]

Remember when the Guildhall first opened and it had benches and fountains? Then they got rid of them all because too many people were hanging around (what a retailer wants, surely?) and replaced them with crummy cash 4 gold stalls.

What Stafford town centre has in abundance = relatively affluent teenagers hanging around the town centre with nothing to do.
What Stafford needs = a place for those kids to hang out and spend money
What the Guildhall could do = food court, entertainment, afflecks palace kind of thing.

 

[John Marwood]

Fill it with cows and potatoes as a homage to the home of the owners

 

[John Marwood]

We Buy Gold
We Unlock Phones
We Make Cupcakes
We Paint Nails
We Sort Your Claim
We Have Knock Off Goods
We Are The UK

 

[loveatfirstbite]

john what kind of shop would you like to see? maybe you'd like to take the risk and set up a shop in stafford?

 

[Gramaisc]

john what kind of shop would you like to see? maybe you'd like to take the risk and set up a shop in stafford?

Perhaps..

.......?

 

[Franklin_Delano_Roosevelt]

john what kind of shop would you like to see? maybe you'd like to take the risk and set up a shop in stafford?

I agree, I think the comment from Marwood was a bit underhand. Those businesses that open up and thrive should be congratulated. If they stay open and do well then they are obviously providing goods and services that people want

 

[John Marwood]

I agree, I think the comment from Marwood was a bit underhand. Those businesses that open up and thrive should be congratulated. If they stay open and do well then they are obviously providing goods and services that people want

Underhand?

Or just reflective of a section of life outside London

 

[John Marwood]

john what kind of shop would you like to see? maybe you'd like to take the risk and set up a shop in stafford?

I have written extensively on supermarket power, business rate inflexibility and the global ownership of towns

Just because I do not see a future in a High Street shop does not mean I am happy with a situation that has been escalated by successive Governments who colaborate with the powerful lobbyists that the corporate giants employ

 

[photography_bloke]

Forgot to mention previously.... if HMV / Millets et. al. are shutting down, would be 'nice' if someone good at photography could pop down and take some photos while they are still open.

For prosperity / "remember when" type discussions in future.... any volunteers?

I'll have a look at it all tomorrow, been trying to think of new projects!

 

[sarsaparilla]

I thought it perhaps worth starting a thread on this. It seems that with the recent spate of High St closures or potential closures like JJB and HMV, Waterstones, the continued demise of the market etc the Guildhall is going through a slow death process that appears to be gathering pace. It will certainly become a whole lot faster if the reported rent increase happens. Perhaps it is all part of a bigger plan to clear the place out and start again, but what next?

Aside from the nostalgia for the old Market I would go with a new multiplex cinema and food outlets. I would steer clear of things that people can easily buy on the internet. You can't buy food (other than a takeaway pizza type of rubbish) or watch a cinema quality film on the internet. Nor have we got anything like this in the local area. I know that there is a certain fondness for the current old cinema but surely it isn't fit for purpose....

The town centre would benefit as the Guildhall occupies a great position at it's heart. It also has an inbuild carpark which this sort of development would require. It could be a winner. Any other thoughts?

How about setting up something in stafford for people who were teenagers in the mid fifties. My own parents would love to go back to one of those dance halls where they themselves met. Wouldn't it be great to re-create those nights? I'm sure if, advertised in Stafford, there would be great demand?

 

[zebidee]

roller disco.

 

[Lesley]

I have booked to have one of the centre units in the guildhall from 4th of February to 17th February as a trial for the launch of my Sherry Trifle range of personalised gifts and hand made cards. The first range will be for valentines and then for invitations and gifts for all occasions.
I have said for a long time that if there was more flexibility for pop up shops or somewhere for business to trial a product or service for a short time, which is cost effective, then it may encourage people to try new ideas. The problem is that in most cases you have to sign a long term lease which is too much of a financial risk.
If my trial period is successful then I will look to have a permanent position and I am sure that other would follow suit if they could have the same opportunity.

 

[andy w]

I have booked to have one of the centre units in the guildhall from 4th of February to 17th February as a trial for the launch of my Sherry Trifle range of personalised gifts and hand made cards. The first range will be for valentines and then for invitations and gifts for all occasions.
I have said for a long time that if there was more flexibility for pop up shops or somewhere for business to trial a product or service for a short time, which is cost effective, then it may encourage people to try new ideas. The problem is that in most cases you have to sign a long term lease which is too much of a financial risk.
If my trial period is successful then I will look to have a permanent position and I am sure that other would follow suit if they could have the same opportunity.

Best of British to you