Capitol Shopping Centre News

Moda In Pelle have closed their Capitol store! They've opened a new concept store on Queen Street in the unit that has been in and out of different hands for as long as I can remember! Under the Thistle hotel...

Had a walk through the Capitol today and it's looking pretty grim, especially now H&M have gone. The old Austin Reed is a Xmas Shop, there's a temporary rugby heaven store which will probably be gone soon next door and I make 11 empty units downstairs alone. If it wasn't for Tesco Metro, Pret, Pound World & easyGym it would be 90% vacant. A far cry from when it opened.

Does anyone know if the owners have any plans? The whole centre needs a radical rethink, especially as they've failed to capitalise on the Premiere Cinema opening.

Does anyone know if the owners have any plans? The whole centre needs a radical rethink, especially as they've failed to capitalise on the Premiere Cinema opening.

There were plans at one time for an appartment block on the corner where the cinema is. Presumably those have been ditched with the place being let.

The centre is 25 years old now and it wouldn't surprise me to see the whole site redeveloped in the next decade or so. It's a prime site given the footfall from Queen Street station and a mixed-use development could do a lot better than the current very dated mall.

They really have. Where are the food units they talked about? Where is the effort to make it more obvious that you can get to the cinema from inside the building? Anyone know how well the Premier cinema is doing?

In some ways its a shame that they didn't get the crazy golf, bowling and laserquest. That could have made it an entertainment venue. Although rents on such space tend to be a bit rubbish I think, having this critical mass would probably have helped pull in restaurants which pay decent rents (less concerned about 'Zone A' than retailers). Combined with the coffee shops, tesco and a few retailers on the ground floor, that would have given the centre a 'life after death' so to speak.

That Rugby Heaven has been there for a couple of years hasn't it?

That Rugby Heaven has been there for a couple of years hasn't it?

Really? It looks like a pop up for the RWC!

I forgot about the ex Index unit too, a big basement space that was going to be All Star Lanes. That would have been a good addition, they've not had much luck really. Either that or it's being managed really badly.

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Good to hear, a shame that the Capitol isn't really

I have always thought that the Capitol location would be perfect for some kind of tourist attraction - an art gallery, museum of Welsh sport or in a wholly ideal world an Auckland type observation tower with a food/entertainment centre at its base.

Whatever happens It really needs to take advantage of the cinema & route from Queen St station. I believe Queen St is the second busiest station in Wales so the footfall is there.

Whatever happens It really needs to take advantage of the cinema & route from Queen St station. I believe Queen St is the second busiest station in Wales so the footfall is there.

It's always struck me as bonkers that they don't have a proper entrance to the centre on Station Terrace. You could cut through H&M at one time but even that's not now possible. It's almost as if they're trying to discouage casual trade.

Nice one