Castlebawn (Newtownards)
Castlebawn is a proposed £250 million, 75-acre (300,000 m2) shopping centre and retail park in Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a joint venture between Eastwood Property and R&A Group. The ambitious proposals, which promise to create up to 2,000 jobs, will extend the town centre and edge of centre southwards in a three-stage development, which was expected to be completed by 2012. The development includes a retail park with 12 retail warehousing units, as well as a shopping centre. It also includes a bypass from Portaferry Road to Comber Road, which will link to the roundabout at the beginning of the main road to Belfast. This will allow traffic to bypass Newtownards town centre and will help ease traffic problems in the area.[1]
The scheme is being developed as part of the Newtownards Town Centre regeneration scheme and will feature:[2]
- a 300,000 sq ft (28,000 m2) shopping centre which will be physically integrated with the town centre,
- 342,000 sq ft (31,800 m2) of retailing,
- a 116,000 sq ft (10,800 m2) business-office park,
- 29,000 sq ft (2,700 m2) of leisure units,
- a petrol filling station and two car showrooms, and
- an 80,000 sq ft (7,400 m2) Tesco store with associated retail units.