Six month delay hits £150m Shrewsbury Riverside plan
Construction work on Shrewsbury's £150 million shopping centre has been delayed by six months, it was revealed today, prompting concern it will go ahead.
The scheme to demolish the Riverside Shopping Centre and create one giant interlinked mall in the heart of Shrewsbury had been due to begin in the summer and finish in time for Christmas 2015.
But the start date for construction has now been pushed back to 'early 2014', with opening planned for spring 2016. The delay is revealed in a report to Shropshire councillors.
"The timetable for construction of the development contemplates the demolition of the Riverside Centre, followed by the construction of New Riverside, commencing in early 2014," it says."
Developers Shearer Property Group and Ignis Asset Management were not available for comment. The delay has led to concerns from Peter Nutting, leader of Shrewsbury Town Council.
"I would be surprised if they started building on time in the present economic circumstances. I'm not convinced it will go ahead as planned," he said.
"The Riverside Centre needs demolishing but I want to make sure what happens is an improvement."
