City deals round-up

The off-market sale of an industrial estate close to Rolls-Royce heads the list of deals done in Derby in recent weeks.

Clowes Developments has sold Trafalgar Park, near to the engineering giant’s civil aerospace campus, to Rotherhill, which has acquired it on behalf of joint venture partner DCS 452 Ltd.

Located off Victory Road, the estate comprises two industrial units of around 29,850 sq ft and 14,250 sq ft, alongside 0.4 acres of outdoor storage land.

The larger unit is occupied by waste management company Biffa on a lease running until 2033.

The smaller 14,250 sq ft unit and storage land are vacant, with Rotherhill planning a comprehensive refurbishment of the industrial accommodation.

Both will subsequently be marketed on a “to let/may sell” basis through FHP Property Consultants and CPP.

In the city centre, an empty unit in the Cathedral Quarter is getting a new lease of life with the support of Derby City Council’s Vacant to Vibrant scheme.

The ground floor of the Grade II listed building at 2-4 The Strand, on the corner of St James’s Street, will be transformed into Take Aim – a new indoor activity venue offering country house-themed pursuits including clay shooting simulation, social darts, virtual putting and pétanque.

The business is the latest to benefit from the Vacant to Vibrant initiative, which focuses on bringing empty shop units in the Cathedral Quarter back into use.

Take Aim said it expects to open for business later this autumn.

Terence Smith, who owns the business with his wife Nicola, said: “Nicola and I are incredibly excited to open Take Aim in the Cathedral Quarter this autumn.

“Derby has real momentum right now, and to bring a landmark building back to life as a family activity venue feels like the perfect way to be part of the city’s reinvigorated future.”

Meanwhile, the Derbion shopping centre is set to welcome local independent toy store BarnDawg.

The retailer will open a 1,111 sq ft store, bringing together a diverse range of building brick sets.

Located on Level 1, opposite M&S, the new store will mark BarnDawg’s second opening in Derbyshire.

The new arrival joins Derbion’s line-up of toy retailers, including The Entertainer, Toy Planet and more.

Beth McDonald, managing director at Derbion, said: “As collectibles and ‘kidult’ toys continue to rise in popularity, BarnDawg brings a completely new and exciting concept to Derbion.

“We’re proud to offer our shoppers such a diverse range of retailers, restaurants and leisure destinations all under one roof, with a mixture of both big-name brands and local independent stores.”

The centre has also announced the impending arrival of international fashion brand Superdry & Co.

The new 3,576 sq ft store will feature a wide selection of Superdry & Co women’s and men’s fashion.

The arrival adds another major fashion name to Derbion’s growing line-up, following the recent openings of OFFICE, FatFace, Crew Clothing, Victoria’s Secret and Seasalt.

Primark is also set to relocate to a newly created 50,000 sq ft store at the centre next year.

Beth said: “Superdry is a fantastic addition to Derbion, and a brand we know will be popular with our shoppers.

“With its distinctive style and wide range of fashion and accessories, the new store will bring even more choice to the centre and further strengthen our line-up of leading fashion brands.”