The £50m Leisuredome to be built in Weston-super-Mare has secured its first tenants, including household name food and drinks retail brands and leading leisure operators.
Bristol businessmen Mark and Clive Hamilton-Davies, the entrepreneurs behind the venture, have announced that sandwich retailer Subway, chicken takeaway chain Tennessee Chicken, local brewery Butcombe and fresh food and Fairtrade organic coffee retailer SOHO Coffee Co have been signed up for the centre, due to open in 2013.
A simulated ice rink, an activity zone, a soft play area, laser game and crèche facility for the centre will be developed by Tiny Tearawayz, while contracts have also been signed with Myrace.com to manage ski racing, Terminal Velocity, the freefall centre operators and Crystal Blue to run the surf centre.
Leisuredome (UK) director Clive Hamilton-Davies said: “It’s great to have already secured these companies and we look forward to announcing others in due course.
“We’re talking to a fantastic range of top brands to be a part of this major extreme sports and recreational activity development. It’s an important stage of the project.”
Butcombe Brewery managing director Guy Newell added: “We’re thrilled to be creating a Butcombe bar within the Leisuredome. As a local brewery, our beers are particularly well known in the area, but this venture will also provide a terrific way for visitors to sample our award-winning ales.”
Chris Copner, SOHO Coffee Co. director, said: “As a South West-based business SOHO Coffee Co. is delighted to be a part of the Leisuredome, which will undoubtedly be a leading leisure and tourist destination for the region.
“We look forward to playing a major part in this exciting new development, serving our unique blend of Fairtrade organic coffee and our range of fresh food, which is prepared in our own kitchens, to the many thousands of visitors enjoying the fantastic new facility.”
Simon Holmes of Subway franchise sales and stores development, said: “The Leisuredome will home our fourth store in Weston-super-Mare, which demonstrates the value that people place on fresh, healthy and tasty food.”
Daniel Antoniou, Tiny Tearawayz Soft Play Ltd managing director, said: “We’re delighted to have signed this contract. I can’t wait to get the project of the ground and build on the success of our first site in Bristol with this larger attraction.”
Deputy leader of North Somerset Council, councillor Elfan Ap Rees, said: "As deputy leader responsible for economic development and as a local ward councillor, I am delighted to see the progress being made with this important development. We look forward to seeing building getting underway as soon as possible."
The Leisuredome will be built on a 12.7-acre site at Locking Parklands, a former RAF site in Weston-super-Mare which is being redeveloped into a £400m sustainable community by the UK’s leading regeneration specialist, St. Modwen, on behalf of the Homes and Communities Agency.
Construction is expected to start next spring.
