Oxford: Retailers join the ranks at Westgate
A raft of new retail tenants have signed up to Land Securities and The Crown Estate’s Westgate Oxford shopping and leisure scheme, which is due to open in 10 months following a £440-million overhaul of the site.
Mint Velvet, Smashbox, Gant, Body Shop, T2, Hotel Chocolat, Guess, JD Sports, local Oxford retailer Burrows+Hare, children's retailer Trotters, Accessorize, Lush and Aveda have joined the line-up of shops and restaurants within the scheme, which as a result is now almost 70% pre-let or in solicitors hands.
Vietnamese restaurant Pho has also agreed to launch a venue on site while Dirty Bones has signed up for its first restaurant outside of London. The lettings come after Cinnamon Kitchen, The Breakfast Club, The Alchemist, Pizza Pilgrims and Polpo were announced for the scheme in December.
Land Securities and The Crown Estate, through their joint venture the Westgate Oxford Alliance, began work on Westgate Oxford last year after more than five years of planning and preparation.
The 800,000 sq ft retail-led mixed-use development will be anchored by a 142,000 sq ft flagship John Lewis and house over 100 other retailers and 25 restaurants and cafes, sitting alongside a five-screen Curzon Cinema.
The new food operators were secured through Davis Coffer Lyons, specialist leisure adviser for the Westgate Oxford Alliance.
Stephen Wall, founder of Pho, said: “A lot of research goes into identifying the perfect base for our restaurants and Westgate Oxford ticked all the boxes for us. The site is well-designed, inviting and in an unbeatable location. We’re looking forward to opening Pho in what looks set to be the most exciting new addition to one of the UK’s most visited cities this year.”
Westgate Oxford will open to the public in October this year – in time to ensure its retailers will benefit from the Christmas trading period, and shoppers in Oxford and beyond can experience exceptional fashion and food brands, all just an hour from London.
Credit: CoStar
