New owners of Centre Court shopping centre in Wimbledon, Romulus, have plans of ‘diversifying and modernising Centre Court'.  This may come as good news for many residents of Wimbledon who might have been worried for Centre Court's future after seeing many stores closing down.

 

Up until recently, Centre Court was in much need of rescuing under the threats of online shopping and a potential remodel of Wimbledon's train station. Romulus, a real estate investor based in London, bought Centre Court in April (2021) and plan to transform the shopping centre into a dynamic social environment for both work and leisure. 'Romulus are committed to transforming the Centre, in a environmentally and sustainable way, into a lively, open space to meet friends or colleagues, shop, relax, eat & drink or work-out.' [quoted from 'futureofcentrecourt.com']

The plan to put Centre Court back on the map has many parts. One component is a 'new central courtyard and retractable roof that opens up on sunny days'. The retractable roof will let in lots of natural light into the courtyard making it an attractive modern meeting point. Another feature of the plan is 'improvements to the existing entrances that include a new art in installation that will brighten up the main, broadway entrance'. Currently the ambition of the 'art installation' is to suspend umbrellas over the main entrance to the Centre. In addition, there are plans of building another entranceway on Queens Road which will be designed around pedestrians. A gym, flexible work spaces and new shops and restaurants are also part of the objective to breathe new life into Centre Court. The investment firm's goal is to place 'the shopping centre back at the heart of Wimbledon's community'. Ultimately, the rejuvenation of the centre will also rekindle and attract new businesses to the Wimbledon town centre.

Currently, there are posters dotted around Centre Court with more information on Romulus's plans. The planning application was submitted to Merton Council earlier this month and next month Romulus hope to speak to the the local Wimbledon community about the measures needed for the process of regenerating Centre Court. For more information and updates, you can visit,  'futureofcentrecourt.com'