Princes Quay
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Princes Quay is a shopping centre in the heart of Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England. The centre is unusual in that it is built on stilts over Princes Dock after which it is named.
To take advantage of its location the shopping centre is constructed with large windows giving visitors panoramic views of the Hull Marina and the dock. The centre also builds its image on a nautical theme, for example by callings its retail floors decks.
The centre, built round a central atrium, consists of 3 decks of over 100 retail outlets which includes many top high street names. Dorothy Perkins, Envy, Gap, JJB Sports, River Island, The Disney Store, T.K. Maxx, Virgin Megastore and Wallis to name but a few.
For those requiring refreshments, the centre includes a Food Court on the lowest deck, known as Harbour Deck. consisting of a number of food outlets that cater for a variety of tastes.
A 1000+ place multi-story car park is integrated with the centre and is accessed from the main A63 when travelling eastbound into the city. Princes Quay is well served by public transport with many bus routes stopping immediately outside the centre and with Hull Paragon railway station only a few minutes' walk away.
A fourth floor, known as Top Deck, is currently being converted from retail units into a 10-screen cinema by Vue which is expected to open for business in the summer of 2007. This conversion proved somewhat controversial since traders on the Top Deck were forced to move out and find new business premises elsewhere in Hull, some of which had much higher rents.
In December 2006, outline planning permission was granted for the western expansion of the centre. The £300m retail development, known as Quay West, will add 500,000 sq ft of shopping space, 60 shops and two department stores. It will also feature cafés and restaurants and a leisure complex comprising a health and sports club as well as a 175-bedroom hotel. The site is earmarked to open in 2011 and it is thought the development will inject an extra £42.66m per year into the local economy. [1]
Since 1996, the Hull International Canoe Polo tournament has been held every July on the waters surronding the shopping centre. One of the local teams, 'Humbersiders', have always been prominent and have been crowned champions on three occasions.
