DEVELOPERS of a new retail park in Weymouth have revealed construction on a new Costa shop is expected to be completed next month.
The Weymouth Gateway scheme will include three ‘big box’ retail warehouse units, two restaurants, and coffee shops, one of which is now already operation on a brownfield site east of Mercery Road.
READ MORE: Weymouth Gateway scheme 'ahead of schedule' - bringing with it 300 jobs
Already in operation is the new McDonald's restaurant, which opened on May 18, while it has been confirmed construction on the new Costa will be completed by Monday, July 18.
READ MORE: New McDonald's restaurant opens as part of Weymouth Gateway Scheme
The undeveloped land, opposite the Aldi supermarket, will also include outlets such as B&M, Dunelm - after development partners LondonMetric Property and Avercet broke ground for the project back in October last year.
Niki Lathwell, director of Seaxburh Partners and spokeswoman for Avercet, said: "LondonMetric Property and Avercet have confirmed that Costa Coffee will be the second occupier to commence trading at their regenerated site on Mercery Road, Weymouth Gateway, with an anticipated opening date before the end of August this year.
"It has been confirmed that the handover for 'fitting out' is programmed for July 18."
Chris Newns, director of Avercet, said: "Construction continues to progress well.
"We are programmed to hand the second unit over to Costa for fitout in the middle of July, and that final phase of work typically takes four-to-six weeks."
Construction is also on schedule for the new B&M and Dunelm stores, both of which are expected to be trading on the site before Christmas.
Once fully operational, the site will generate around 280 full-time-equivalent, year-round jobs, in addition to the 50 construction jobs already created for the build period, and is expected to also stimulate a further 50 jobs locally through associated economic uplift. The development will bring some £6 million in business rates to the Council during its first 10 years of operation.
Mr Newns said developers Avercet are currently speaking to other brands about more big names coming to the Weymouth Gateway scheme in the near future, but nothing is confirmed at this time.
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