:Parc Tawe

{{Short description|Retail park in Swansea, Wales}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2014}}

{{Use British English|date=June 2014}}

File:Parc Tawe.DSC00540.JPG

Parc Tawe is a retail park and leisure area in Swansea. It is located in the eastern area of the city centre on the west bank of the River Tawe in the Lower Swansea.

The area includes "out-of-town" style stores with car parks located outside the shopping area. A highly visible building in the area is the Plantasia - a large triangular tropical plant house.[http://www.onebiggarden.com/Places_To_Visit/Plantasia-P2-5.aspx One Big Garden - Plantasia] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090819045223/http://www.onebiggarden.com/Places_To_Visit/Plantasia-P2-5.aspx |date=19 August 2009 }} Entertainment in the area include a 10 screen UCI On 29 September 1989 until 2006 (Then: Odeon cinema[http://www.odeon.co.uk/fanatic/cinema_information/s19/ Odeon Swansea]) and a ten pin bowling alley.{{Cite web |title=Tenpin Swansea {{!}} Bowling Swansea {{!}} Indoor Activities |url=https://www.parctawe.com/tenants/tenpin-bowling |access-date=2024-09-06 |website=www.tenpin.co.uk |language=en-gb}}{{Cite web |title=Tenpin Swansea {{!}} Bowling Swansea {{!}} Indoor Activities |url=https://www.tenpin.co.uk/our-locations/swansea/ |access-date=2024-09-07 |website=www.tenpin.co.uk |language=en-gb}}

The area occupied by Parc Tawe was once the North Dock.[http://www.welshwales.co.uk/tall.htm Tall masted ships, North Dock, Swansea, Wales] The North dock was opened in 1852 becoming the first dock in the Swansea docks complex. During the 1930s changes in methods of working, reduced trade and the increasing size of ships led to the North Dock being closed and subsequently filled in. For decades the North dock area was an industrial wasteland, until re-development as a shopping complex in the late 1980s.

Parc Tawe is divided into two shopping areas separated by the road linking the Parc Tawe Bridge with Strand Row: the original Parc Tawe area and the newer Parc Tawe North.[http://ralph.swan.ac.uk/swantour/rd_ind_retailing.htm Swansea Recent Development - Retailing] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110725113404/http://ralph.swan.ac.uk/swantour/rd_ind_retailing.htm |date=25 July 2011 }} Units located in Parc Tawe include The Food Warehouse, B&M Bargains, Office Outlet and Mothercare. Retailers in Parc Tawe North include Homebase, Lidl, JD Sports, Pound Stretcher, Pets At Home, Bargain Buys and Home Bargains.

In October 2016, a proposed £15-million revamp of Parc Tawe got the green light.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-west-wales-37543528|title=Retail park revamp gets green light|date=2016-10-04|work=BBC News|access-date=2017-10-16|language=en-GB}} The new development features a drive-thru Costa coffee shop as well as the UK's first Denny's restaurant.{{Cite web|url=https://locations.dennys.com/search.html|title=Locations - Denny's|website=locations.dennys.com|language=en|access-date=2017-10-16}}