Future of centre looked bright

THE rejuvenation of Craigavon Shopping Centre was well underway in April 1983.

Shoppers had been flocking through its doors over the Easter period and it was hoped that by the end of the year the average would be around 75,000 a week.

Having previously been labelled a Craigavon “white elephant,” the centre’s future was looking bright

Peter Reynolds, the centre’s manager, said the first six years of the centre’s life had been disappointing but there had been a remarkable change since January of the previous year.

Since then, at which time ownership of the centre changed hands, the average number of shoppers each week had risen from 12,000 or 15,000 to 40,000.

And it was hoped the average would reach 75,000 by October or November - the number originally intended for the centre.

Mr Reynolds praised the way the businessmen had played their part in the revival of the centre. “The traders had been hanging on by the skin of their teeth for six years and some fell by the wayside. But over the last year they have got together and worked hard.”

Only one unit in the centre was lying vacant at that stage, and management was waiting for the right business to come along so they could obtain a good mix.

A pub was due to be opening soon while a greengrocers was also heading to the centre.

It was all a far cry from the early days when tenants pulled out and there were complaints it had been built on the wrong side of the Craigavon housing developments.

But the change in ownership 15 months previously began the revival which they hoped would continue through the year.