Gloucester's former Argos and New Look stores could be brought back to life as a destination for food and drink, leisure, or as co-working space, with the buildings' owner revealing ideas for their redevelopment this August 2026.
With Cheltenham entrepreneur Michael Chittenden currently in the process of converting the upper levels of the former Argos on the corner of Eastgate Street into apartments, attention is now turning to the potential use of vacant commercial space on its lower level, along with the neighbouring former New Look store on Brunswick Street – in a project that's being dubbed 'The Interchange'.
The former Argos building has been largely vacant since the retailer closed there in 2017, aside from short-lived uses by Jobcentre Plus, the Furniture Recycling Project and Gloucester's former Halloween experience, Frightmare. While the former New Look next door has been empty since its closure in 2018.
An update shared by Trevor Dawson, a spokesperson for the project, revealed a number of options currently being considered for the commercial space, along with CGI images illustrating the site's potential.
The uses being explored include:
- A large food hall with a variety of independent operators
- Urban wellness, fitness and recovery facilities
- Competitive socialising and leisure
- Flexible workspace and meeting facilities
- A combination of food, leisure, wellness and community uses
Trevor said: 'Bringing life back into two significant Gloucester city centre buildings starts with bringing people back into them. The upper floors of our Eastgate Street property are being transformed into new inner city apartments. The first phase will be completed shortly, with the second phase progressing to schedule.'
He said bringing a 'new community' into the city will create more demand for places to 'eat, work, meet and spend leisure time'.
He explained of the commercial space: 'The two properties are currently separate but could potentially be connected, subject to the necessary consents, providing up to 37,135 sq ft of flexible space'.
'They could accommodate individual businesses, several complementary operators or a larger combined concept.'
He said that any development should be considered in the context of plans for the wider area, including Gloucester City Council's Greyfriars Quarter project, which features a new market and food hall along with performance, community and leisure space.
'Positioning another high volume food hall or complementary leisure destination within the same footfall area could be hugely beneficial', Dawson added.
'Rather than relying on a single attraction, a concentration of different experiences could create a stronger destination, encourage people to stay for longer and support greater movement between Eastgate Street, Brunswick Road and the wider city centre.'
The images also show a desire for the building's art deco façade, along with its clock, to be preserved as part of any redevelopment.
With ideas for development still being considered, SoGlos will report on any further updates as the project moves forward.
