Broad Street Mall

Plans for the shopping centre were made by the Reading Borough Council in 1956, however it took more than a decade to find a suitable site and buy it.Reading, past and present, Stuart Hylton. p.49

The centre was originally known as the Butts Centre, and was named after the adjacent St Mary's Butts. The current name relates to Reading's principal pedestrian shopping street, Broad Street, and the centre is situated at the west end of the street. It was opened in 1971. The centre was purchased by Doughty Hanson & Co in June 2001 and sold in March 2004.{{cite web|url=http://www.doughtyhanson.com/real-estate/historic-portfolio/broad-street-mall.aspx|title=Home|website=www.doughtyhanson.com}} During this period they implemented a business strategy to update and refurbish the shopping centre to modern standards. During this time footfall increased 50% and net operating profits increased 38%.

File:Broad Street Mall, ccrossroads.jpg

File:Broad Street Mall, car park.jpg]]

Below are occupiers of the centre classified as strong covenants{{clarification needed|reason=See User_talk:ChilledSunset#Strong_covenents|date=July 2020}}{{citation needed|date=July 2020}}

• Boswells Cafe
• Bride to Be
• Brother2Brother
• Burger King
• Card Factory
• F. Hinds
• Grape Tree
• Greggs
• Holland & Barrett
• Iceland
• Jelly
• 118 Photography
• Reading Buses
• Martin's
• Metro Bank
• Poundland
• Reading Biscuit Factory (Cinema)
• Savers (UK retailer)
• Slaters
• Subway
• Superdrug
• Taco Bell
• Thai-Grr
• The Works
• Therapists on the High Street
• Timpson (retailer)
• TK Maxx
• Wilko

In November 2018, plans were submitted to the Reading Borough Council for 530 residential flats in the Broad Street Mall development, however in 2019, Inception Reading resubmitted new plans for "493 flats in three buildings, one of which would be on top of the shopping centre".{{cite news|first=Hugh |last=Fort|url=https://www.getreading.co.uk/news/reading-berkshire-news/eye-catching-new-plans-revealed-15901469 |title=Eye-catching new plans revealed for Broad Street Mall homes|work=Get Reading|date= 1 March 2019|accessdate=19 July 2019}} The two other towers will consist of one being 5 storeys and the second being 22 storeys subject to planning permission not changing.

There are public toilets a Post Office and a NHS walk-in health centre.{{cite web|url=http://www.readingwalkinhealthcentre.nhs.uk/|title=Reading Walk-In Health Centre|first=|website=www.readingwalkinhealthcentre.nhs.uk}} In 2019, the walk-in centre was expanded due to its busy nature with £505,000 of funding from the NHS.{{cite news|first=Luke |last=Adams|url=https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/17465558.the-walk-in-centre-at-broad-street-mall-has-been-extended-and-revamped-thanks-to-505k-in-funding/ |title= The walk-in centre at Broad Street Mall has been extended and revamped thanks to £505k in funding |work=Reading Chronicle|date= 28 February 2019|access-date=19 July 2019}}

In September 2020, Co-Space Reading opened at Broad St. Mall which offers a flexible and spacious working environment for local businesses. There are 15 fully furnished office suites available to rent, ranging from between 4, 6 and 10 person, up to 50+ person spaces.{{Cite web|url=https://www.readingchronicle.co.uk/news/18656006.readings-broad-street-mall-welcome-co-space/|title=Community office on track to open in September|website=Reading Chronicle}}

• The Oracle, another shopping centre nearby.

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category|Broad Street Mall}}

• {{Official website|http://www.broadstreetmall.com/}}

{{Shopping centres in Southeast England}}

Category:Shopping centres in Berkshire

Category:Buildings and structures in Reading, Berkshire

Category:Shopping malls established in 1971