City centre shopping precincts

"New student accomodation", probably the least surprising thing I've read in my whole life! If I was in charge of the BHS site I'd demolish it and rebuild the City Arcade.

Good idea to reuse those upper floors. They seem to have never really been used since the Precinct was built, and getting rid of those bridges is long overdue as the upper level of shops never worked. Getting rid of the clutter and filling in the area beneath the pillars might make it look better. It's certainly not aged well. There's never been enough student halls in Coventry. In my first year there was a frantic scramble to find housing for freshers, and that was when the Poly was a third of the size it is now with only Priory Hall and Caradoc Hall plus some in Raglan Street in Hillfields as purpose built halls. After that it was off to some vile, semi-derelict deathtrap in Foleshill or Stoke run by a slum landlord. Coventry's playing catch up. It's not as if some of these sites have been marketed for other uses. Bishopgate was supermarket, retail, offices & housing before they tried student flats. There are plenty of empty sites that have been undeveloped for years. I can think of a few halls going up: Fairfax Street (22 storey) Friars Road (20 storey?) Parkside (10 storey) Belgrade Plaza next phase (hotel, apartments, halls) London Road (under construction) Bishop Gate (under construction) The development on Sky Blue Way (Godiva something or other?) Planning application for something at the end of Whitefriars Lane. The City Village tower was apparently fully booked up before it was finished.

Upper Precinct trees What happened to the trees? I love trees, so passing through there today I was shocked and sickened to see they have all been cut down. It looks like an extreme vandal attack, but no need to guess who was actually responsible.

It does appear to be a big shame about the trees, but from what little I've read, it was carried out by the developers who are preparing to remove the escalator and relay the ground surface, including planting new trees, so it's hopefully good news eventually. I'm still not certain why the old trees couldn't be dealt with by relaying the surface around them and keeping them in-situ, but I guess someone had their reasons.

I since found some stuff on the development. It seems to be another doing it for doing it's sake (apart from the obviously good thing of removing the escalator). They say the trees have outgrown the space, which seems to be a complete lie, they are nothing like gigantic monster trees at all. Trees etc: https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/start-date-revealed-upper-p.... I don't how partly demolishing the Precinct is good, I think all or nothing would be better when it comes to what was originally there. They'd be better getting rid of the bridge out in Broadgate, or at least what's between the Godiva clock and the bank, minimum. Development: https://www.coventrytelegraph.net/news/coventry-news/upper-precinct-plans-covent....

Man's struggle

Shoppers in Market Way - SA Band

Looking from Upper Precinct to Lower Precinct with Market Way off to the left

That naff green escalator that ruined the view along the Precinct has finally gone! (Pic (c) the Telegraph). You can see in the background they have added a new one 'internally' for those with restricted access inside what was the old ramp down to the old West Orchard car park.

As a follow up to this - I'm hearing that the curved walkways from the top of the ramp are going as well. Daftly that will leave us with a 'ramp to nowhere'. Apparently the Council don't have the funds to compulsarily purchase the jewellers underneath to resurrect the original view over Broadgate. BTW I have just added a couple of events in the Events listing for tomorrow and Saturday if anyone is interested.

Man's Struggle - original sculpture panel Upper Precinct

That shows them in their current position at the Herbert in Jordan Well Originally they were either side of the water feature in the Upper Precinct

Thank you, MR. Being away so long I had forgotten about the move.

The demise of Smithford Street buildings clearly seen on this photo, recently added on FB Post copied from topic Smithford Street (inc. Ram Bridge) on 16th May 2020 8:21 am

Very interesting picture MR. The modern town centre has me thoroughly confused. So by my calculation, ruins of the bridge is the Ram Bridge? So the hard surface coming in from the left in the foreground heading all the way to the right with the black car and also the road with the 2 cars on the right is West Orchard? The road left to right is Smithford Street? and this would be the Lower Precinct? It's hard to tell if those are the remains of the Co-op building or foundations for the next stage of the Precinct. Post copied from topic Smithford Street (inc. Ram Bridge) on 16th May 2020 8:22 am