Big name shopping pledge for city

The £1bn master plan aims to regenerate key sites in the city. Enlarge Image

Leading retailers will be attracted to Swansea city centre as part of a £1bn facelift, developers have predicted.

House of Fraser could return, John Lewis is being targeted and a new Debenhams store may also feature.

Hammerson and Urban Splash, which were chosen last month to deliver the scheme, also want to entice Swansea's two universities into the city centre.

The companies said within 10 years they intend to transform the city into a major retail and leisure destination.

The existing Quadrant and St David's shopping centres are to be included in the revamp and the car parks at Paxton Street and County Hall will also be redeveloped.

They are looking to build two major department stores to anchor the retail aspect of the scheme.

Simon Betty, who is leading the project for Hammerson, said: "Our aspiration is to create a destination that's vibrant and bustling beyond five o'clock in the evening.

"We want to provide facilities that don't currently exist in the city centre - making it a major retail, residential and leisure destination."

You can rest assured we are here for the long-term Simon Betty, Hammerson

He said "initial discussions" with House of Fraser, which pulled out of the old David Evans store in Swansea four years ago, had "been encouraging."

He was "hopeful" John Lewis "will come to the negotiating table" while Debenhams was "excited" about the possibility of a new store.

They would also be looking to persuade the city's universities to increase their presence centrally.

The companies said the current economic conditions were challenging, but that there would be a lot of hurdles to overcome, including planning and landownership issues.

But Mr Betty promised: "You can rest assured we are here for the long-term and committed to the city centre. We have a track record for delivering."

Hammerson and Urban Splash were chosen after a nine-month competition to find developers to transform the city.

The initial plan I put forward with others was that this had to be deliverable - this could no longer be a false dawn of artists impressions Chris Holley, council leader

A previous £125m scheme to redevelop the city centre called Castle Quays, first launched in the late 1990s, never got off the ground after several false starts.

Swansea Council leader Chris Holley said a lot had changed since then.

He said the SA1 redevelopment of the city's docks, the new £30m maritime museum and the soon to be reopened £34m leisure centre had brought "new confidence."

"The initial plan I put forward with others was that this had to be deliverable - this could no longer be a false dawn of artists' impressions.

"We have picked a developer, a partner in this, that has a proven track record.

"We are confident, the assembly [Welsh Assembly Government] are confident, we have now got the right partner."