Full planning permission has been granted to Lotus Property for a 21-lane bowling alley and family entertainment centre at its flagship Northern Ireland retail scheme, The Boulevard in Banbridge. The approval, issued by the Planning Committee of Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon County Council, paves the way for a £9 million redevelopment of the scheme’s western section, with construction set to begin immediately.
The 23,000 sq ft venue will be operated by Hollywood Bowl and is scheduled to open in early 2026. It will mark the leisure operator’s second Northern Ireland site following its entry into the market three years ago in Belfast. The new location will sit within a larger 60,000 sq ft Food and Entertainment Quarter, increasing The Boulevard’s gross lettable area to approximately 220,000 sq ft.
Alastair Coulson, Managing Director at Lotus Property, said:
“Welcoming Hollywood Bowl to The Boulevard is an exciting moment in the scheme’s history as it triggers a multi-million pound redevelopment to create a ‘Food and Entertainment Quarter’.
“The Boulevard is already a successful destination for families and the arrival of Hollywood Bowl and the tranche of new F&B tenants that we expect to follow will support its transition into a compelling day-to-night option for customers.
“This latest tenant signing comes as The Boulevard celebrates its best trading performance in the scheme’s history, consistently bucking the national trend for a decline in footfall with sales performance for 2025 v 2024 at 15 per cent.”
The FTSE 250-listed Hollywood Bowl Group, which currently operates 75 centres across the UK, has expanded recently with new sites in Inverness, Preston, Swindon, Westwood Cross and Colchester. Further openings are scheduled for this weekend at The Chimes in Uxbridge and in July at The Oracle in Reading.
Laurence Keen, Chief Finance Officer at Hollywood Bowl Group, commented:
“We’re excited to open a 21-lane bowling alley and family entertainment centre at The Boulevard – our second location in Northern Ireland following our successful launch three years ago in Belfast.
“The brand performs extremely well across the UK offering an affordable contemporary entertainment experience for families, and friends to come together for fun games, enjoy food and drink and really make a day of it. We are encouraged by The Boulevard’s strong performance and are looking forward to joining the solid roster of tenant brands on site, welcoming customers keen to make the most of the scheme’s retail and leisure mix.”
Full planning permission has been granted to Lotus Property for a 21-lane bowling alley and family entertainment centre at its flagship Northern Ireland retail scheme, The Boulevard in Banbridge. The approval, issued by the Planning Committee of Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon County Council, paves the way for a £9 million redevelopment of the scheme’s western section, with construction set to begin immediately.
The 23,000 sq ft venue will be operated by Hollywood Bowl and is scheduled to open in early 2026. It will mark the leisure operator’s second Northern Ireland site following its entry into the market three years ago in Belfast. The new location will sit within a larger 60,000 sq ft Food and Entertainment Quarter, increasing The Boulevard’s gross lettable area to approximately 220,000 sq ft.
Alastair Coulson, Managing Director at Lotus Property, said:
“Welcoming Hollywood Bowl to The Boulevard is an exciting moment in the scheme’s history as it triggers a multi-million pound redevelopment to create a ‘Food and Entertainment Quarter’.
“The Boulevard is already a successful destination for families and the arrival of Hollywood Bowl and the tranche of new F&B tenants that we expect to follow will support its transition into a compelling day-to-night option for customers.
“This latest tenant signing comes as The Boulevard celebrates its best trading performance in the scheme’s history, consistently bucking the national trend for a decline in footfall with sales performance for 2025 v 2024 at 15 per cent.”
The FTSE 250-listed Hollywood Bowl Group, which currently operates 75 centres across the UK, has expanded recently with new sites in Inverness, Preston, Swindon, Westwood Cross and Colchester. Further openings are scheduled for this weekend at The Chimes in Uxbridge and in July at The Oracle in Reading.
Laurence Keen, Chief Finance Officer at Hollywood Bowl Group, commented:
“We’re excited to open a 21-lane bowling alley and family entertainment centre at The Boulevard – our second location in Northern Ireland following our successful launch three years ago in Belfast.
“The brand performs extremely well across the UK offering an affordable contemporary entertainment experience for families, and friends to come together for fun games, enjoy food and drink and really make a day of it. We are encouraged by The Boulevard’s strong performance and are looking forward to joining the solid roster of tenant brands on site, welcoming customers keen to make the most of the scheme’s retail and leisure mix.”
The announcement forms part of a wider repositioning effort by Lotus Property to reinforce The Boulevard’s appeal as a destination beyond traditional retail. The landlord’s investment in experiential and leisure-focused assets seeks to increase dwell time and drive both day and evening trade, aligning with broader sector trends.The announcement forms part of a wider repositioning effort by Lotus Property to reinforce The Boulevard’s appeal as a destination beyond traditional retail. The landlord’s investment in experiential and leisure-focused assets seeks to increase dwell time and drive both day and evening trade, aligning with broader sector trends.
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