UNIT 1, SEARS RETAIL PARK
A new store for M&S
PJMA have been involved in the redevelopment of this retail park in Solihull dating back to 2013 when we were asked by BMO Real Estate Partners to subdivide a vacant unit to facilitate lettings to M&S Food and Home Sense. This was a relatively complicated exercise because issues of fire escape and separation as well as separated deliveries and vehicle movements needed to be resolved.
Subsequent to this, we have been involved in a variety of further projects to alter the estate to improve, modernise and facilitate the letting of units. The planning position relating to out-of-town retail space and highways issues has given rise to complex strategies and processes, by far the most involved of which has been the current phase of development.
This project was completed by main contractor Speller Metcalfe in January 2020. It involved the demolition of a 12,000ft2 unit with a yard previously occupied by Homebase and the construction of a new 80,000ft2 unit for occupation by M&S, which is linked through to the original M&S Food unit that we designed in 2013. The existing unit remain in operation throughout the demolition and construction works.
Our original projects on the estate necessarily replicated the rather dated architecture, but the the new-build M&S project is the catalyst for a new design for the retail frontages which it is planned to be implement across the estate over the next few years.
