The company said the factory outlet could get around 1.5 million visitors a year, many travelling from around the country on special tour buses.
K Village manager Mandy Dixon predicted the number of coaches could double from the 2,000 which each year visited the old K Village, and was demolished in 2007 to make way for the new centre.
It was replaced by a temporary town centre outlet which continued to attract thousands of visitors.
Ms Dixon said the riverside complex with its shops, restaurants and Heritage Centre would have a major benefit for Kendal town centre and beyond.
“K Village is hugely important, not just for Kendal but for the rest of South Lakeland and, indeed, Cumbria,” she said.
“While the development has been ongoing I have worked very hard to push the interests of Kendal as well as K Village. Now the work is completed I’m confident not only the centre will be put on the map as a fantastic place to visit, but the town will too.
“It will be of both national and international significance.
“We’ve already seen more Chinese and Japanese coming to K Village, along with an increasing number of eastern Europeans, and I believe this can only grow.”
So far, 20 companies have taken space at the new outlet, with the flagship Clark’s Factory Outlet commanding the lion’s share of the retail space.
Eighteen of the stores are set to open their doors when the new complex is officially revealed to the public for the first time on Wednesday, with the remaining two expected to begin trading early in August.
Meanwhile, the main contractors employed by Kendal Riverside are busy completing general construction work, including the £800,000 road improvements to Lound Road as part of a planning agreement.
The company has also spent £2m on 40 affordable apartments for local occupancy on a nearby site, contributed £140,000 towards a pay-on-foot parking scheme at Westmorland Shopping Centre and has been a key funder in Kirkland’s pedestrian enhancement scheme.
SOURCE: The Westmorland Gazette
No comments:
Post a Comment