Location:
The Metropolitan Borough of Wolverhampton is the designated sub-regional Shopping Centre for the north western sector of the West Midlands. It is located approximately 14 miles north west of Birmingham, 7 miles west of Walsall and 18 miles east of Telford.
The City is a focal point of a number of major trunk roads which directly link to Junction 10 of the M6 (approx 5 miles to the east), Junction 2 of the M54 (approx 4 miles to the north) and Junction 2 of the M2 (approx 7 miles to the south east). The Western Orbital Motorway connecting the M42 and the M54 motorways has improved accessibility and opened new areas for employment.
Birmingham Airport and the National Exhibition Centre are readily accessible via the M6 motorway, whilst the rail network provides an InterCity service from London(Euston) with a journey time of approximately 2 hours.
Economy:
Wolverhampton has a historically strong industrial base with major employers in the area including Goodyear, Dowty, Wolverhampton & Dudley Breweries, Chubb & Tarmac. Among the principal office employers are Wolverhampton City Council and Birmingham Midshires Building Society.
Retail Catchment:
The resident population of 247,200 persons (1992 Census) does not reflect a true guide to the shopping potential of the City which has an estimated catchment population of approximately 375,000 persons. The influence of the Centre extends over a wide and prosperous geographical area.
Acknowledged by retailers as one of the West Midland’s most successful covered Shopping Centres The Mander Centre occupies a prime central site extending to approximately 5.5 acres and is bounded by Dudley Street, Queen Square, Victoria Street and Bell Street. It provides the focal point for retailing in Wolverhampton, linking the pedestrianised thoroughfare of Dudley Street with the Cities principal department store, Beatties in Victoria Street.
The Mander Centre is a prestigious covered, fully pedestrianised shopping complex at the hart of the central shopping area of the City, with easy access to and from car parking facilities around the City centre.
The Centre is supported by a number of major national multiple retailers including Bhs, Woolworths, Boots, Tesco WH Smith, TJ Hughes and Dixons. The development also contains many other household names and specialist retailers providing comparative shopping facilities which are unrivalled within a reasonable distance.
During the last 30 years, the Centre has received many accolades, including a Civic Trust award in 1969 and the AA Gold Award for secured car parks, the first ever given in Wolverhampton and the second in the West Midlands.
Description:
The Mander Centre was built in phases between 1965 and 1976 and was subsequently refurbished in 1987. It provides a covered Shopping Centre at the heart of the City Centre with a strategic link between Dudley Street and Victoria Street and adjoining the Wulfrun Centre at Gallery Level. In 2004 the Centre was again reburbished.
The total retail floor area is approximately 484,500 sq ft, the offices comprise approximately 57,110 sq feet supported by on-site car parking for 550 vehicles. The car park is controlled and operated by the Landlords and is access from Bell Street. There are a further 16 defined car parking spaces at Basement level for the benefit of the office tenants in Mander House.
Excellent servicing is provided at Basement level approached from Bell Street. The Centre Manager’s office is located on 5th Floor, Mander House and can be accessed via the escalators at the North End, Gallery level.
The Shopping Centre was extensively refurbished in 1987 and became the first centre in the UK to incorporate a barrel vaulted polycarbonate sliding roof. Whilst retaining natural ventilation, it opened automatically in the event of fire. However, under the 2004 refurbishment the sliding roof was replaced with a fixed option to enable the shopping environment to become fully climate controlled.