Shipping container retail and leisure company Boxpark have revealed the latest CGI images of what Madeira Drive could look like if the firm secures permission to redevelop Madeira Terrace to create Boxpark Brighton.
The company want to return the area to its former glory, restoring the crumbling 151 Grade II-listed Victorian arches on Madeira Terrace and creating a ‘People’s Promenade’ with shops, food and drink outlets, a world-class hotel, as well as new green spaces.
Boxpark has already submitted plans to Brighton & Hove City Council and hopes to secure a 12-month exclusivity period to explore the design, funding and management opportunities for the regeneration project which seeks to create a world-class retail and leisure development. The company said it was committed to engaging with local companies already operating on Madeira Drive, such as Concorde2 and Sea Lanes, and told BOTI there were “no plans at this stage” to affect existing businesses there.
Brighton and Hove City Council is still set to revamp three of Madeira Terrace’s arches by summer 2019 after a successful fundraising campaign last year, which saw the community raise £463,947, despite failing to secure £4.2m Heritage Lottery Funding in July. At the time, the council said it planned to reapply in the next round and remained positive that funding would eventually be received despite the early setback. Boxpark, meanwhile, have proposed a private fund raise to fund their redevelopment.
Boxpark’s proposal is being led by Roger Wade, who founded Boxpark and lives in Brighton & Hove, and Paul Nicholson of Chalk Architecture. If accepted, due to the size of the project, it could take “up to two years” before the project got underway, the company told BOTI.
“Madeira Drive and the accompanying Terrace are the embodiment of the Victorian grandeur that saw Brighton become the UK’s favourite seaside destination. The new images show how our proposal would redevelop the area whilst maintaining the architecture that Madeira Terrace has become known for,” said Wade.
When Boxpark Shoreditch opened in 2011, it was the world’s first pop-up mall, placing independent and mainstream brands and street food outlets side by side in shipping containers. It currently has two London locations, in Shoreditch and Croydon, with a third, in Wembley, launching later this year. If the Brighton proposal is accepted, it would be the firm’s first foray outside London.
We’ll keep you posted with more information as we get it!
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