And another 16 UK leisure parks, where Capital & Regional recently took over as fund manager from Marylebone Warwick Balfour, are to be absorbed into a new X-Space brand which could see the injection of new leisure and retail attractions.

The Star City scheme in Birmingham will be the first to be rebranded, as part of a £15 million ($24 million) upgrade. The scheme has seen declining footfall and a reputation for crime that led it to be renamed locally as 'Stab City' but P-Y Gerbeau, chief executive of Capital & Regional's leisure operations, is convinced he can turn the scheme around. "There is a massive problem with safety at Star City, but we're addressing that as we speak," he said. "In some ways Star City is the Dome of the property market."

Plans for the scheme include the introduction of a scaled-down indoor ski slope, smaller than at the Milton Keynes Xscape but focussing on tobogganing as much as skiing, and a new assault course attraction called an air park, suspended 60 ft up in the scheme's atrium. In addition Gerbeau is in talks with JJB Sports about building five-a-side soccer pitches on the top level of the scheme's car park.

The rebranding of two existing schemes will coincide with an expansion of the Xscape brand. The next will open later this year in Castleford, West Yorkshire, to be followed by a scheme at Braehead, Glasgow. And more are in the pipeline. "Originally we thought the UK could support four Xscapes, but now we think there could be seven or eight," said chairman Martin Barber.

The X-Space portfolio of smaller schemes, which includes sites like Tower Park in Poole, Dorset and Lockmeadow in Maidstone, Kent, will see the introduction of a new central services building, along the lines of the Pod, which C&R is introducing into its Junction retail parks. The X-Space tower will feature a climbing wall as well as retail including a convenience store; mobile phone shops; dry cleaners and coffee shops.

Instant Insights /

Capital & Regional to Rescue Star City With Xscape Rebranding

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