Intu Derby

Derbion (formerly Intu Derby, Westfield Derby and the Eagle Centre) is a large indoor shopping centre in Derby, England.

Derbion
LocationWest Mall, Derby, England
Coordinates52.919°N 1.473°W / 52.919; -1.473
Opening date1975 (1975)
ManagementSavills
OwnerCale Street Investments
No. of stores and services199
No. of anchor tenants6
Total retail floor area106,130 m2 (1,142,400 sq ft)
No. of floors3
Parking3,647
Websitewww.derbycentre.co.uk

Overview

Derbion may contain up to 200 shops,[1] a supermarket, a cinema and many eateries. Anchor tenants include Next, Marks & Spencer, Debenhams and Sainsbury's. There is also a cinema, named the Showcase Cinema de Lux, in the centre. It has three car parks and is a few minutes walk away from both Derby's bus and railway stations.

The UK's largest, but mainly unoccupied, indoor market, the Eagle Market, adjoins the centre. The market and Derby Theatre, which is accessed through the market, were considered to be part of the centre until 2007, when the centre was known as The Eagle Centre. When the centre was expanded and renamed (see below), the market, owned by the Westfield Group and Hermès, but operated by Derby City Council, did not take on the Westfield name; it slightly changed its name from the Eagle Centre Market to simply the Eagle Market and introduced its own branding, separate from both the former Eagle Centre's and Westfield's), making itself distinct from the shopping centre for the first time.[2]

A much smaller indoor shopping precinct, St Peter's Way, is also physically connected to Derbion. Customers can walk seamlessly between the two.

History

The centre opened as The Eagle Centre on 20 November 1975, at a cost of £7 million. Several streets of pre-1950s terraced housing were demolished to make way for the new centre, including a street called Eagle Street, which gave the name of the new development.[3][4]

Construction work on the site in 2005

The centre's market was rebuilt in 1990, and the entire centre was refurbished in 1999. A £340m extension to the Eagle Centre was opened on 9 October 2007 by TV celebrity Tess Daly. The extension sits on the site of the former Castlefields Main Centre, a dilapidated outdoor shopping centre already owned by the Westfield Group. It doubled the size of the centre,[5] from 51,559 m2 (554,980 sq ft) to 106,130 m2 (1,142,400 sq ft).[6]

As well as adding many new retailers, the extension also houses an 800-seat foodcourt including a KFC outlet,[7] a £30m twelve-screen Cinema de Lux and even more car parking facilities.

Many retailers, including Debenhams, Marks & Spencer and the now defunct Republic, closed their existing Derby stores to move to bigger stores in the extension.[8] When the extension opened, the Eagle Centre was renamed Westfield Derby, in line with other Westfield shopping centres.

On 3 December 2010 a fire, which started in the car park, caused thousands of shoppers to be evacuated from the building.[9]

In March 2014, it was announced that Intu was to acquire Westfield Derby.[10] On 1 May 2014, it was rebranded as Intu Derby.[11]

In April 2019, Intu sold 50% of the centre to Cale Street Investments, an investment firm backed by the Kuwait Investment Office.[12] On 9 September 2020, following Intu's administration, Cale Street purchased the remainder of Intu Derby. The centre was referred to as the Derby Centre while a new name was sought.[13]

The chosen name of Derbion was decided on and released to public in late January 2021,[14] taking effect on 1 March, with external signage changes planned for May.[15]

Naming timeline

Derbion has been given several different names throughout its history.

  • 1975–2007: The Eagle Centre
  • 2007–2014: Westfield Derby
  • 2014–2020: intu Derby
  • 2020–2021: Derby Centre
  • 2021–: Derbion

See also

References
  1. Westfield fills store empty since launch Derby Telegraph 17 December 2010
  2. "Derby Eagle Centre market or Guildhall market may close". BBC News. 7 December 2011.
  3. Memoryshare: Westfield - as it was BBC Derby 24 September 2014 (archived). Retrieved 28 January 2021
  4. Memoryshare: The Eagle Street Area BBC Derby 27 November 2014 (archived). Retrieved 28 January 2021
  5. Eagle Centre extension news Archived 12 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  6. Eagle Centre frequently asked questions Archived 2006-11-25 at the Wayback Machine
  7. "Plans for Food Court unveiled". Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 30 August 2007.
  8. Westfield Derby Opening Archived 8 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  9. "Fire forces Derby Westfield shopping centre alert". BBC News. 3 December 2010. Retrieved 7 August 2015.
  10. Westfield sells Derby, Merry Hill and Sprucefield shopping centres to Intu BBC News 20 March 2014
  11. Westfield renamed Intu Archived 19 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine Derby Telegraph 1 May 2014
  12. This is who has bought half of Intu Derby Derbyshire Live, 18 April 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2021
  13. The new name Derby shoppers would like for city shopping centre Derbyshire Live, 9 September 2020. Retrieved 28 January 2021
  14. New name revealed for Derby's biggest shopping centre Derbyshire Live, 27 January 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2021
  15. Intu Derby's new owners defend 'Derbion' name switch BBC News Derby, 27 January 2021. Retrieved 28 January 2021
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