Riverlights development could have five top restaurants
FIVE restaurant units are set to be marketed as part of the next phase of the multi-million-pound Riverlights development.
In March, the bus station element of the Morledge project started operating and recently a Spar convenience store opened at Riverlights.
The focus of the next stage of the development is the restaurant element.
The £40 million project will eventually boast five restaurants, which will be marketed by Derby property management consultancy Fisher Hargreaves Proctor.
Managing partner David Hargreaves said: "Fisher Hargreaves Proctor has long since recognised the growing importance of Derby as a successful commercial centre and the ambition of the city as a whole.
"The Riverlights development reflects this and will finally give Derby the one thing it's been sadly lacking, a great choice of places to eat out and somewhere people can enjoy not just the food and drink but the surroundings."
The restaurant units are due to be completed by the end of next month.
The glass-fronted units will range in size from just over 3,000sq ft to 4,500sq ft.
Each of the units face on to a walkway which leads to the River Derwent and the weir with one of the units directly overlooking the river itself.
John Forkin, director of Marketing Derby, a public-private sector organisation set up to promote the city as a place to invest, is hopeful that Riverlights will be able to attract some big names in the restaurant sector.
He said: "There's a lack of places for families and couples to eat out and a real enthusiasm for operators like Wagamama and Cafe Rouge, which the public know from other Midlands cities."
Mr Forkin believes that Riverlights should be an attractive proposition to the big names considering the amount of footfall the development will get.
It is estimated that the bus station alone will be used by 12 million people a year.
The development is also near the £340 million Westfield Derby shopping centre, which opened in 2007. In its first year of trading, the centre attracted 25 million visitors.
Mr Forkin said: "Riverlights will be an excellent addition to Derby.
"Westfield has transformed the city's retail offer and the same sort of regeneration in leisure can take place with Riverlights."
Once fully completed, it will also boast two hotels and a casino.
The hotels will be a 105-bed Holiday Inn and a 117-bed Hampton by Hilton.
David Osborne, of Derby Riverlights Development LLP, said: "Westfield and Riverlights have and are redefining the city and what it has to offer people who live in and visit Derby."
11 Comments
View all
by Christopher, Derby
Tuesday, August 17 2010, 1:32PM
“I agree with David Gale's comment on the "imposed architecture" and I would consider that a "top restaurant" should use a landmark historic building with class and distinction. Riverlights looks and feels like an industrial building (bus sheds?). The development's nickname is Riverblights. The whole area has been blighted by grey steel cladding, the grey box and the massive grey metal cages that enclose the 3,000 + space car park on top of the Westfield development.
Marketing Derby should be looking towards the Cathedral Quarter for suitable venues for high class restaurants, especially as the banks will have all relocated to the City Centre within the next few years; it has recently been reported that Lloyds TSB are soon to close their Iron Gate branch.
It is the Cathedral Quarter that needs the business that should be taken back from the Westfield development.
The city centre is however already overloaded with eating places, if you want a good night out, it is worth travelling a few miles outside the city centre to one of the many excellent restaurants that offer high quality meals and service.”
by TW, Derby
Tuesday, August 17 2010, 12:35PM
“Hey, Ramafanadingdong... You missed out my inability to spell 'deli' too' :-) Nobody likes to point out the faux pas of others more than I, so I have to be able to take it too. It's all done in the right spirit by most. There are one or two who can dish it out but not take it. John/Dragon/New Dragon being one of them, in three personas.”
by David Gale, Derby
Tuesday, August 17 2010, 11:51AM
“Given the new 'architecture' imposed on the city to date, as well as the proposed job cuts, I would have thought that a soup kitchen would have been more appropriate?
Please, please, please give us some buildings of which we can be proud.”
by Rams Fan, Oakwood
Tuesday, August 17 2010, 11:49AM
“No 1 Fan:
I appreciate TW's contributions to these pages and can share a laugh; if you and your band of wannabes insist on taking potshots at my right to express opinions on here, I'll continue to laugh *at* you rather than *with* you.
Okay Poppet? Okay.”
by Rams Fan's Fan, Derby
Tuesday, August 17 2010, 11:37AM
“still correcting peoples spelling then Spammie?
Get over yourself
I think there were enough corrections of your own use of language yesterday that you should probably be lying low today ;)”
by Mehran Gilani, Littleover
Tuesday, August 17 2010, 11:24AM
“In my opinion i think that Derby in fact need an Middle eastern touch kind of restaurunt which would be ideal and fun to go to for families! which would suit this city nicely!”
by Rams Fan, Oakwood
Tuesday, August 17 2010, 10:59AM
“"It is now a much nice Italian restaurant"
Nice touch TW; it even reads in an Italian accent! ;)”
by TW, Derby
Tuesday, August 17 2010, 10:46AM
“Sorry, that should be - "It is NOW a much nice Italian restaurant".”
by TW, Derby
Tuesday, August 17 2010, 10:45AM
“Yes, Terry. John Forkin did once co-own a dlie/cafe/bistro/whatever on Friargate called 'Flying Giraffe'. It died on its rear. It is not a much nice Italian restaurant. Those who can do...”
by Rams Fan, Oakwood
Tuesday, August 17 2010, 10:10AM
“They may have an office in Derby but FHP is a Nottingham company, and David Hargreaves himself is from there.
Once again our illustrious decision makers determine to outsource our own prestigious roles.. how they intend to compete with our rival cities when they subsidise their commerce in this way is a bit beyond me.”