Developments Since The New Town
Jarman Fields was previously agricultural land. The developments, including that of the adjacent McDonalds restaurant were built on land originally donated to the town for recreational purposes. Land had also been reserved for a hotel, but still remains derelict. Replacement open space was created to the east of the town, near Leverstock Green, Longdean Park and Nash Mills. The first phase of recreational facilities, which opened in 1978, was the Loco Motion Skate Park. Subsequently, it became a dry ski slope with a small nursery (Jack & Jills) next to it. Both areas were removed to make way for The Snow Centre which opened in 2010. A Tesco superstore was built in 1994, which was later expanded into a Tesco Extra and was the first to be built with natural light let in. The Leisure World complex opened in 1995. The Odeon Cinemas complex had eight film screens and is currently operated by Empire Cinemas. In addition there is an ice rink (Planet Ice, originally Silver Blades), a water park (Aqua Splash), a Burger King, an athletics track for the local sports group Sportspace and a Pizza Hut. It also included Toddlerworld (play area) until it was closed. Other facilities that were opened included, ten pin bowling (Hotshots), a small bar with snooker and pool tables and a large arcade next to it, and night clubs (Lava and Ignite, previously Visage & Ethos) which all closed down in September 2011. This was due to their parent Luminar Leisure going into administration. Currently plans have been submitted by the landlords Capital & Regional to redevelop the site. It will become a collection of family friendly cafes & restaurants, with Aquasplash closing down, with a brand new play area, gym, and bowling alley with the ice rink and cinema. The Leisure World complex will be demolished as soon as the new unnamed project is completed which is expected to begin construction in summer 2012 and be completed in early spring 2013. There is also an athletics track used by the local sports group Sportspace that opened in 1996. It is also used by local schools for sports days. The most recent facilities, which opened in July 2011, comprised an extreme sports centre (XC), which contains a skate park, caving, climbing walls, high ropes, a cafe and counselling rooms for young people.
The former John Dickinson Stationery mills site, straddling the canal at Apsley, was redeveloped with two Retail parks, a Sainsbury's supermarket, 3 low rise office blocks, housing, a mooring basin, and a hotel. A further office block is planned. Some buildings have been retained for their historic interest and to provide a home for the Paper Museum.
An indoor shopping mall was developed adjacent to the south end of the Marlowes retail area in 1990, and in 2005 the Riverside development designed by Bernard Engle Architects was opened, effectively extending the main shopping precinct towards the Plough roundabout. The new centre includes several outlets for national retailers including Debenhams, Starbucks, HMV, Waterstones, and more. These two developments have moved the "centre of gravity" of the retail centre away from the traditional market and the north end of Marlowes has become an area for secondary outlets.
Further extensive redevelopment of the northern end of Marlowes has recently (October 2007) been given the green light and is scheduled to be complete by 2013.
Isle of Man-based residential developer Dandara have redeveloped the old Kodak headquarters into an exclusive block of flats, with a new bridge to go with it.
Since the 2005 Buncefield fire the former Maylands Avenue factory estate, badly affected by the fire, has been re branded as Maylands Business Park and a 40 tonne sculpture by Jose Zavala called Phoenix Gateway placed on the first roundabout off the M1 to symbolise its renewal.
The now disused mill site at Nash Mills is being redeveloped to build housing and community facilities, retain some historic buildings and use various watercourses as amenities.
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Famous quotes containing the words developments and/or town:
“The developments in the North were those loosely embraced in the term modernization and included urbanization, industrialization, and mechanization. While those changes went forward apace, the antebellum South changed comparatively little, clinging to its rural, agricultural, labor-intensive economy and its traditional folk culture.”
—C. Vann Woodward (b. 1908)
“A township where one primitive forest waves above while another primitive forest rots below,—such a town is fitted to raise not only corn and potatoes, but poets and philosophers for the coming ages. In such a soil grew Homer and Confucius and the rest, and out of such a wilderness comes the Reformer eating locusts and wild honey.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)