Howard Centre
The Howard Centre is a shopping centre in Welwyn Garden City. It is named after Sir Ebenezer Howard, founder of the garden city movement.
Location | Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire |
---|---|
Opening date | October 1990 |
Developer | Slough Estates |
Management | Slough Estates (1990-2004) Land Securities (2004-2009) LaSalle (2009-Present) |
No. of stores and services | 50 (approx.) |
No. of anchor tenants | 4 |
Total retail floor area | 230,000 sq ft (21,000 m2) |
No. of floors | 2 |
Parking | 725 cars |
Website | howardcentre |
History
It was built by Tarmac Construction and opened in October 1990. It was owned and managed by Slough Estates from 1990 until 2004 when ownership transferred to Land Securities.[1] Land Securities managed the centre until its disposal in October 2009 to LaSalle who have owned and managed it since.[2]
Description
The centre provides 230,000 sq ft (21,000 m2) of space set across two levels; anchor tenants include Boots, WHSmith, Monsoon and H&M. In April 2022, the then largest anchor store Marks & Spencer (occupying 84,000 sq ft (7,800 m2) split across both floors at the centre's northern end[3]) closed their Howard Centre branch and relocated to Stevenage.[4]
Connections
The centre has direct access to Welwyn Garden City railway station, along with a ticket office within the centre itself, and is adjacent to the town's bus station. It is complemented by the older John Lewis store which is outside the centre but only a few minutes walk away, on Bridge Road.[5]
See also
References
- "Slough Estates PLC UK Regulatory Announcement: Land Securities and Slough Estates Agree Property Swap". www.businesswire.com. 2004-11-15. Retrieved 2019-07-28.
- Richards, Chris (2009-10-28). "Welwyn Garden City landmark shopping centre sold". Welwyn Hatfield Times. Retrieved 2019-07-28.
- "Elderly women stuck in Welwyn Garden City shop's lift". Welwyn Hatfield Times. 4 December 2010. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
- Mountney, Dan (2022-01-13). "Marks & Spencer confirm Welwyn Garden City store closure". Welwyn Hatfield Times. Retrieved 2022-06-29.
- "Dogs now allowed in Welwyn Garden City's John Lewis". Welwyn Hatfield Times. 5 November 2018. Retrieved 28 July 2019.