Newtown Riverside Venue to become visitor hub for town after spring opening
A new riverside venue for Newtown will open in the spring as a community and visitor hub for the town.
Development trust Open Newtown is inviting bids to lease, run and maintain a food franchise at the new venture.
The ‘Riverside Venue’, situated alongside the River Severn in Back Lane car park, will act as a gateway to Newtown’s green spaces and is scheduled to be completed in the spring.
The development will house tourist information, a small retail area, exhibition spaces, a café, fully accessible toilets, and an adult changing space.
Open Newtown says, that at the head of the largest town centre car park, close to the bus interchange, and within walking distance of the train station, it will act as one of the main visitor hubs for the town’s green spaces.
Gary Mitchell, Open Newtown’s chief executive, said: “We are not only looking for the most economically advantageous bid at the end of the assessment process. We are also seeking someone who demonstrates a food offering that is complimentary to existing town food outlets and one that leads the way on low-carbon thinking.”
He said the development will also help facilitate activities held around the town’s green spaces and the River Severn. These include mountain biking, paddle sports, walking and cycling.
Open Newtown envisages the venue becoming a hub, both hosting and supporting events in the town.
The franchisee will benefit from having all equipment, utensils, crockery, and cutlery provided for them, along with what is described as an 'iconic space' to trade from, as well as potential to expand the operation to other nearby venues
The Welsh Government’s Transforming Towns Fund and the National Lottery’s Community Fund in Wales have funded the development, which has also been supported by Powys County Council and Newtown & Llanllwchaiarn Town Council.
The tender closing date is February 23, 2022, with tenders accepted no later than midnight. A final decision on the new operator is expected to be made in March.
Potential bidders can access more details online at sell2wales.gov.wales/search/show/search_view.aspx?ID=JAN385684
