The Mall Maidstone

The Mall Maidstone is a covered shopping centre in Maidstone, the county town of Kent, England. It is one of the two principal shopping destinations in Maidstone town centre, alongside Fremlin Walk, an open-air shopping development. The centre provides approximately 535,000 square feet, or 49,700 square metres, of floor space and was ranked jointly as the United Kingdom's 60th-largest shopping centre in a 2008 Retail Week survey. The development opened in 1976 under the name Stoneborough Centre. Its original scheme included a seven-storey office block known as Stoneborough House above the retail accommodation. During the 1990s, the shopping centre was rebranded as Chequers Shopping Centre, with the change accompanying work on the principal entrances and a broader refurbishment programme. The office building retained the Stoneborough House name during this period, distinguishing the office element from the retail complex. The centre originally included a Sainsbury's supermarket. That store closed and moved in 2000 to a separate building immediately east of the town's bus station. The shopping centre itself later changed ownership in 2005, when it was acquired by Capital & Regional. The new owner undertook further refurbishment and introduced a distinctive pink visual identity associated with its branding at the time. A major subsequent change involved the office block. Maidstone Borough Council agreed to move into the refurbished building, supported by the construction of a new Gateway reception area. The council took a 99-year lease and occupied the premises in May 2007. The building was then renamed Maidstone House, giving the wider complex a civic as well as retail function. The centre's retail mix has included independent businesses and national chains, with B&M identified among the larger retailers in the supplied reference material. Its other important function is transport-related: Chequers Bus Station is integrated into the building between the main shopping area and the former Sainsbury's location. The bus station operates beneath the car-park levels in a two-way tunnel-like arrangement, with stops H1 to H5 on one side and J1 to J6 on the other. It is managed by Maidstone Borough Council and serves local destinations such as Barming and Park Wood, as well as routes toward the Medway Towns and Sittingbourne. Arriva Southern Counties and Nu-Venture are identified as principal operators. An Arriva travel shop at the station closed in 2012 and was subsequently occupied by the charity Involve Kent, according to the supplied reference material. The Mall Maidstone therefore functions as more than a retail brand: it is a mixed-use town-centre complex combining shopping, municipal offices, parking and a major local bus interchange. Its successive names reflect different phases of redevelopment and repositioning, while the Chequers name remains associated with the bus station.

The complex was constructed and opened in 1976 as the Stoneborough Centre. The original development included a seven-storey office block called Stoneborough House, positioned above the covered retail centre. A Sainsbury's supermarket was part of the opening retail offer. In the 1990s, the centre underwent entrance works and refurbishment and adopted the name Chequers Shopping Centre. The office block continued to be known as Stoneborough House at that stage. In 2000, the Sainsbury's store closed and relocated to a separate building immediately east of the bus station, changing the composition of the shopping centre while retaining the wider site's connection with the Chequers transport interchange. Capital & Regional purchased the centre in 2005 and initiated another refurbishment programme. This phase introduced the company's distinctive pink branding and sought to refresh the complex's presentation. A parallel civic redevelopment plan involved Maidstone Borough Council taking space in the office block. After extensive refurbishment and the construction of a Gateway reception area, the council signed a 99-year lease and moved into the building in May 2007. The office block was renamed Maidstone House. The retail complex subsequently became known as The Mall Maidstone, while Chequers Bus Station retained the Chequers name. The bus station is integrated into the building between the shopping area and the former supermarket location. Its platforms are arranged on two sides of a tunnel-like route beneath the car-park levels: H1 to H5 are on the west side and J1 to J6 on the east. The facility is managed by Maidstone Borough Council and provides bus connections across Maidstone and to nearby destinations. Arriva Southern Counties and Nu-Venture are identified as the main operators in the supplied reference material. The centre has remained an important part of Maidstone's town-centre economy, operating alongside Fremlin Walk as one of the town's two primary shopping venues. Its offer has included both independent retailers and national chains such as B&M. The site also has a civic and transport role through Maidstone House and the bus station. An Arriva travel shop located in the bus station closed in 2012 and was later occupied by Involve Kent, a charity. The supplied materials do not establish the centre's current ownership, detailed tenant roster, or an official current website.

• 2012

  Closure of the Arriva travel shop

  [1]The Mall Maidstoneen.wikipedia.org

  The Arriva travel shop in Chequers Bus Station closed; the premises were later used by Involve Kent.

• 2007

  Maidstone Borough Council moves into Maidstone House

  [1]The Mall Maidstoneen.wikipedia.org

  Following refurbishment and construction of a Gateway reception area, Maidstone Borough Council took a 99-year lease and occupied the renamed Maidstone House in May.

• 2005

  Acquisition by Capital & Regional

  [1]The Mall Maidstoneen.wikipedia.org

  Capital & Regional acquired the shopping centre and began a further refurbishment programme using its distinctive pink corporate branding.

• 2000

  Sainsbury's relocation

  [1]The Mall Maidstoneen.wikipedia.org

  The original Sainsbury's supermarket closed and moved to a separate building immediately east of the bus station.

• 1990

  Rebranding as Chequers Shopping Centre

  [1]The Mall Maidstoneen.wikipedia.org

  During the 1990s, entrance improvements and refurbishment accompanied the centre's change of name to Chequers Shopping Centre.

• 1976

  Opening as the Stoneborough Centre

  [1]The Mall Maidstoneen.wikipedia.org

  The covered shopping centre opened in Maidstone with the associated seven-storey Stoneborough House office block and a Sainsbury's supermarket.

A centrally located, covered shopping and transport complex serving Maidstone and the surrounding Kent area, combining national and independent retailers with civic offices and an integrated bus station.

• Shopping centre · 1976

  Covered retail centre

  The core offering is enclosed town-centre retail accommodation serving Maidstone. The centre has hosted a mixture of independent retailers and national chains, including B&M, across general merchandise, fashion, services and food-related categories. The supplied source describes approximately 535,000 square feet of floor space, equivalent to about 49,700 square metres.

• Transport interchange · 1976

  Chequers Bus Station

  An integrated bus station located within the complex between the principal shopping area and the former Sainsbury's site. Its stops are arranged as H1 to H5 on the west side and J1 to J6 on the east side beneath the car-park levels. It supports local Maidstone services and routes to destinations including the Medway Towns and Sittingbourne.

• Office accommodation · 2007

  Maidstone House

  The former Stoneborough House office block above the shopping centre. After extensive refurbishment and the creation of a Gateway reception area, it became Maidstone House and was leased to Maidstone Borough Council for 99 years. The building provides a civic office function within the wider retail and transport complex.

• 2007

  Conversion of the office block into council accommodationStrategy

  Background

  Maidstone Borough Council agreed to consolidate its occupation in the refurbished office block above the shopping centre.

  Action taken

  The council signed a 99-year lease, moved into the building in May 2007, and the former Stoneborough House was renamed Maidstone House after refurbishment and the addition of a Gateway reception.

  Aftermath

  The development gained a substantial civic-office function alongside its retail and transport uses.

  Source

• 2005

  Post-acquisition refurbishment and rebrandingStrategy

  Background

  After acquiring the centre, Capital & Regional sought to refresh the shopping environment and establish a more recognizable identity for the property.

  Action taken

  The centre was refurbished and presented with Capital & Regional's distinctive pink corporate branding, later operating under The Mall Maidstone identity.

  Aftermath

  The work represented a new phase in the property's retail positioning and followed earlier identities including Stoneborough Centre and Chequers Shopping Centre.

  Source

1. 1The Mall Maidstoneen.wikipedia.org