Celebrating 21 years of Kingsgate – a new chapter unfolds
Kingsgate centre director Jonathan Hardy giving the talk at New North Road Baptist Church
New North Road Baptist Church
Thursday, September 7, 2023
Huddersfield Civic Society members were given a revealing insight into the new Kingsgate development scheme.
The talk was by Kingsgate centre director Jonathan Hardy who shared the thinking behind a number of previously considered expansion schemes and the reasons they never quite materialised.
He then explained the challenges he and his team currently face in order to undertake such an ambitious construction project while trying to maintain the serenity of the centre’s main shopping mall.
Jonathan explained the process of demolition along with the design issues faced in order to ensure the cinema, entertainment and shopping facilities would operate seamlessly and harmoniously both during construction and following completion.
He then showed drone footage and time-lapse images of the construction and development now taking place at Kingsgate.
The centre was opened 21 years ago and Jonathan reflected on how and why Huddersfield’s premier retail venue came into existence, the changing landscape of town centre retailing over the years and the significant challenges encountered post-Covid, Brexit and the cost of living crisis.
Jonathan answered questions from the audience about environmental impacts and considerations, the demographic of likely users of the new facilities and funding.
He was introduced and thanked by Huddersfield Civic Society chairman David Wiles.