New vision for a £300m redevelopment in Exeter city centre receives backing
A new vision for a £300m redevelopment in Exeter city centre has been backed by councillors.
Members of the City Council’s Leisure Complex and Bus Station Programme Board approved the vision for the redevelopment at the bus station site.
They also backed an increased budget to build the state-of-the-art new Passivhaus leisure complex St Sidwell’s Point, and a new Exeter bus station, which are both being funded by the City Council.
A meeting of the full council will be asked to give final approval in December.
As well as the new leisure complex and bus station, the vision for the rest of the site includes:
- The potential for a multi-purpose performance venue, with a capacity of around 1,200 seated or up to 2,500 standing
- 250 housing units for sale on the current Civic Centre site, and 250 units of housing built to rent
- A ten-storey, four star hotel with 175 rooms, and a budget hotel
- Almost 40,000 sq ft of retail units fronting Sidwell Street
- The potential to house the relocated Civic Centre
- A new Office Quarter, with units over eight storeys
- More than 15,000 sq ft of food and drink outlets
- Flexible working space alongside the leisure centre
- Public realm enhancements – a new square in Paris Street and new civic space
The vision shows a pedestrianised Paris Street, which remains a long term aspiration for the authority.
Cllr Phil Bialyk, Lead Councillor with Responsibility for Bus Station Redevelopment, said: “The new vision for the redevelopment of this site has been widely welcomed.
“It has been a long term aim of the council to create a much needed new leisure complex and bus station, and we look forward to the main construction work starting on site very soon.”
