Cinema totalling 11,650 sq ft opens in former retail units

A cinema has opened in Wakefield city centre, within a 11,650 sq ft space which was previously occupied by three retailers.

Reel Cinema has opened at The Ridings Shopping centre’s new leisure offering. The owner of the shopping centre, NewRiver, has worked with Reel to repurpose three retail units on Cathedral Walk – the upper mall of the centre, opposite Boots.

Around 30 jobs have been created at Reel Cinema Wakefield, which comprises five screens with each auditorium seating between 42 and 55 customers. The cinema will be the first Reel outlet to feature a standalone sweet shop, Sweet Barrels, and an ice cream parlour.

David Charlton, Asset Manager at NewRiver, said: “The introduction of Reel Cinema in Wakefield demonstrates our commitment to innovation in our shopping centres and our ability to adeptly address the oversupply of retail by repurposing the units to accommodate exciting new uses.

“We are also in regular dialogue with the City Council about what other experiences and services we can help to bring to Wakefield and always welcome feedback from our customers.

“Our new All Saints Yard, arts and community space, in partnership with The Art House, also adds originality and will hopefully add new spark to the City.”

The 13 other outlets in Reel’s growing portfolio are made up of former picture houses and older buildings. It is a family-run, independent business which opened its first cinema in Loughborough in 2001

Muhammad Faisal, head of operations at Reel Cinemas , said: “Wakefield is a wonderful city and the opportunity to open our first cinema in West Yorkshire was one we grabbed with both hands. The Ridings already attracts around 11 million customers a year and the centre’s family-friendly, community driven values really align with our own, so it felt like the perfect fit.

“This is our 14th cinema and it opens at an exciting time for the business as we look to open a further 10 cinemas across the UK in the next five years.”

Since acquiring The Ridings Centre in 2016, NewRiver has introduced a number of successful new initiatives, all focused towards ensuring that the shopping centre becomes a hub for the local community and compliments the nearby Trinity Walk.

These include a rooftop allotment for local people without a garden, and the repurposing of All Saints Yard, a new space for creative activities and events in Wakefield.

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