As Bob Dylan once put it, The Times They Are A-Changin'. And over the last few years, this couldn't be a truer description of Swansea city centre. Huge big money investments and developments are rapidly and radically changing the look of the city, many parts of which have been long in need of some extra love and attention.
Over the last few years, the ambition has been clear for anyone to see. Cranes are a constant sight hovering over the city centre at the moment, a reminder of the efforts and determination to transform tired old buildings, many disused, into bold, modern looking alternatives, and create new ones in place of those torn down.
The likes of Swansea Arena and some of the other aspects of Copr Bay are already complete or well on their way, but private developers have also given the city its thumbs up, with mega money developments being constructed, or in the process of being developed. You can get more Swansea news and other story updates straight to your inbox by subscribing to our newsletters here.
READ MORE: The love it or hate it giant Swansea building some people think should be listed
But, while there is plenty to celebrate and look forward to in the future, there is an element of the city centre which is visibly at odds with what is going on around it. The coronavirus pandemic has undeniably accelerated a shift in shopping trends and how people consume goods, which has left many town and city centres across the UK unrecognisable from what they were before.
And that's definitely true when it comes to Swansea. The likes of Oxford Street and its surrounding areas have a number of empty units, while other high profile brands have departed and lesser known businesses moved in.
With Swansea in such a state of flux right now, we've taken a look at the make-up of the city, what's to come, and where things could end up in the future, and discussed with those at the heart of the city's transformation what it will take to ensure the city flourishes in the 21st century.
A new look emerging for the city
The arrival of Swansea Arena has been a game changer for the city centre. From comedians Michael McIntyre and John Bishop, to rock star Alice Cooper and post-punk band Fontaines DC, the arena has hosted performers who might not have been the likeliest candidates to venture beyond Wales's capital previously. It cost just under £50 million and was part of the largely council-funded £135 million Copr Bay development, described as "shining a bright light on the city's flourishing cultural scene" and one of Wales's premier venues.
The number of ticketed events were slightly lower than anticipated for the first year, but ticket sales are said to have been very strong, and the arena has also hosted scores of other events such as conferences, business exhibitions and banquets. The development has also seen the arrival of the first park since the Victorian era.
The city's brand new 1.1-acre coastal park forms part of Swansea Council's £135 million Copr Bay phase one district. The coastal park also features a selection of new trees, including cherries and pines. They are among more than 70 new trees being introduced as part of the Copr Bay phase one district as a whole.
Bug hotels and free WiFi have also been installed, along with solar-powered benches enabling people to charge their smartphones, tablets and laptops. Other park features include the new The Green Room Bar and Kitchen. The brand new golden Oystermouth Road bridge, love it or hate it, has also introduced a prominent new feature to Swansea, along with the new square and church hall.
Parc Tawe on the up
Parc Tawe is a real story of transformation - and down to the vision of the two entrepreneurs who have said they have a "vested interest" in seeing the retail park flourish. Their investment has now reached seven-figure sums, and at weekends, 12,000 vehicles enter the car park each day to visit the attractions, something considered a "very obvious increase" to previously.
The arrival of Aldi created a long-awaited replacement for the huge unit left vacant after the departure of Toys R Us. And it was to be just the beginning. Soon there followed big name adventure experiences such as Ninja Warrior UK and Flashpoint, together with restaurants such as India India, Double Zero and Dirty Fries.
The retail element was also bolstered, with the likes of Barnardo's and Sports Direct joining its ranks. As well as filling up empty units, they have nicely complemented the existing big name tenants, such as Odeon, Tenpin, Plantasia, Costa, Denny's, Iceland and B&M. You can read all about the huge changes there by clicking here.
The transformation of old buildings
There's plenty of focus going into cherished old buildings in Swansea to breathe new life into them. The Albert Hall on Cradock Street has been empty since 2007, when it last functioned as a bingo hall.
Work is now underway to bring it back to life. Plans to restore the 157-year-old building were announced in 2021, with developer Loft Co, which has been responsible for the work on The Tramshed in Cardiff and J-Shed in Swansea, planning an 800-capacity entertainment venue, Depot Swansea, as well as new spaces for lifestyle businesses and offices.
Elsewhere, along High Street, construction specialists are working hard to deliver a smart new look for Swansea's historic Palace Theatre, and to save a slice of the city's past at the same time. The structure was built in 1888 and, in its long history, it has undergone a series of interior makeovers resulting in a complex rabbit warren with steep, winding staircases and numerous spaces of different shapes and sizes.
The challenges for those now in the early stages of rescuing the building are intensified by the structure’s derelict state after almost two decades of disuse. Those in charge of the makeover are making it ready for a sensitive overhaul over the next two years. Swansea Council plans a big future for the six-storey building, having taken it out of private ownership shortly before the coronavirus pandemic.
The former BHS/ What! building is being transformed from a shop into a community hub, and will be the new home to the central library, which is moving over from Swansea Civic Centre. Proposals are that it will offer easy access to council services. It will be joined by a range of other services - and the hub could potentially offer access to the West Glamorgan Archive Service, the authority says.
And there's more to come
On the Kingsway, once the home of Oceana, and a number of nightclubs before that including Top Rank, Ritzy's, and Time and Envy, a new building has begun taking shape. Swansea Council has been working on a major new office space in the city centre which it hopes will provide space for 600 jobs in sectors such as tech, digital and the creative industries. Initial building work on site has focused on two basement floors at the 71/72 Kingsway scheme, with giant yellow cranes towering over the site.
One of the biggest future developments could be at the Civic Centre in Mumbles Road, Urban Splash want to transform the building, modelling it on its Royal William Yard complex in Plymouth, which has shops, restaurants, bars, visitor accommodation and art studios.
Meanwhile, Swansea's Hafod-Morfa Copperworks, The Strand and Swansea Museum will also be transformed in a major new project said to be worth an estimated £9.4m a year to the city’s economy. Led by Swansea Council, the lower Swansea Valley improvement project is also expected to create 69 new jobs while helping to support more than 100 existing ones.
Aimed at celebrating Swansea’s industrial heritage, the project is a result of a successful £20 million bid for levelling-up funding from the UK Government. It includes the restoration of the former laboratory building at the copperworks to create restaurant and food and drink spaces, and investment in the Musgrave and Vivian engine houses which will see a new enclosure built to create a heritage visitor attraction and café.
For the nostalgic among us, Castle Square is set to receive a revamp to take it back to past glories, which has been widely welcomed by the community. Council planning officers have approved a scheme to add more trees, lawns and other greenery, and to create two pavilion buildings for food, drink or retail businesses. There will also be a new water feature, seating areas and a large television above a bandstand-style facility.
And there's a major new leisure destination planned at Swansea's Kilvey Hill, with a proposed cable car and chair lift system installed to enable people to enjoy views from the top of the hill. The proposed cable car system would run to the top of Kilvey Hill from the area of the Hafod Morfa Copperworks. The main content of the proposal includes Skyline’s own gravity-fuelled downhill carting experience known as the luge, a sky swing, existing and new walking trails, a zipline, additional mountain bike access and food and beverage outlets.
Student developments aplenty
There are several state-of-the-art developments already complete and standing tall in some quarters of Swansea, whilst others are still under construction and there are even more in the pipeline currently going through the planning process.
Ty Nant, where the old HMRC valuation office agency once stood, was bought up by Watkin Jones in 2021, which unveiled plans for a new 350-bed accommodation block for students. Now, two years on, significant signs of progress are there for all to see, with the building soaring into the city skyline, the concrete frame completed and brickwork "progressing well". A huge banner draped over the building states that it is set to open in September, 2023, something that appears more than achievable given the current rate of progress.
A 328-bed student development in a part of the city previously described as rife with "drug use and prostitution" was unanimously approved by city councillors in November, 2020. The authorities hope the Jockey Street scheme, near High Street, will help improve the area. It will be six to 12 storeys and incorporate a small commercial unit. The development includes a roof with greenery and solar panels, and a sunken ground floor garden to hold excess water.
Among those already built are The Oldway Centre, which opened in 2019 and welcomed its first residents for the start of the autumn term that year. Omnia, which is in charge of the new development, reported high levels of occupancy in the development at the time.
Coppergate, situated along The Kingsway, comprises a 14-storey tower and two six-storey blocks, a central courtyard and some commercial space. The £22 million development is a 310-bed scheme and is run by Prime Student Living. It has a mix of studios and shared apartments, as well as communal spaces.
The retail and hospitality situation
Like many other places in the UK, Swansea city centre has seen better days when it comes to its retail and hospitality sector. A walk along the city's main shopping thoroughfare, Oxford Street, still shows it suffers from having many vacant units.
We reported in December last year how H Samuel had closed down after trading in its corner unit for decades. And four vacant units sit empty side by side. To let signs from Glanmor Chartered Surveyors are fixed to three consecutive shops, once filled by the likes of Carphone Warehouse and Thomas Cook, whilst the neighbouring store is also empty.
But there is light at the end of the tunnel. At H Samuel, the new owners of the building have said they are looking to revitalise the retail space and create 27 apartments on the upper floors. In August last year, chief executive of Llanelli-based developer, Kartay Holdings Ltd, Ian Morgan, revealed how the company had acquired 254 to 260 Oxford Street, which includes the aforementioned four empty units, with a view to .revitalising the retail offering' while creating 27 apartments on the upper floors.
Kartay's acquisition follows the company's purchase of Princess House, and the former Smith-Llewellyn building which is being redeveloped into a multi-purpose development providing 15,000sq ft of office space. The ground floor retail units will also look to attract high-end food and beverage outlets.
The developer also owns 1 Oxford Street, which is occupied by Mcdonald's in Castle Square, a five-storey commercial building which it plans to develop, turning the upper floors into residential apartments overlooking the soon to be regenerated Castle Square, which itself will feature pavilion buildings for food and drink outlets, outdoor seating and a new water feature.
Swansea Council recently bought the Quadrant Shopping Centre's anchor store Debenhams, thanks to Welsh Government funding. Council chiefs will begin looking for retailers following initial discussions with a number of parties. It closed in 2021 after the much-loved retailer went into administration. The authority has expressed its desire to see it brought back into retail use as soon as possible. There could potentially be some leisure use as well.
On the hospitality front, Wind Street hasn't been exempt from its own difficulties. BrewDog closed its doors for good there in February because of "increasing costs and spiralling energy bills". The chain has now made the "difficult decision" to close the bar, blaming the current economic climate. You can read more about that by clicking here.
What those at the heart of the city's transformation think
Swansea Council Leader, councillor Rob Stewart said: “A £1bn regeneration of the city centre is on-going to benefit local people, local businesses and visitors to Swansea. Swansea Arena, the coastal park and the new bridge over Oystermouth Road are already complete as part of the £135m Copr Bay scheme. The arena attracted more than 240,000 visitors during its first year of operation, and the bridge has created far better links between the city centre and the arena, the maritime quarter and the waterfront.
“Major improvements have also been made to the look and feel of both The Kingsway and Wind Street and we have one of the UK’s best indoor markets, but there’s much more to come, with cranes now dominating the city centre skyline. This is a sign of positive change and investment. A new office development at the former Oceana nightclub site on The Kingsway is under construction, which will provide space for 600 workers once finished next year and worth £32.6m a year to Swansea’s economy. This is important because our city centre needs more people spending money there to benefit local businesses and attract more investment.
“Plans are also in place for a redeveloped and greener Castle Square Gardens, the former BHS unit on Oxford Street will be transformed into a public services hub and work is ongoing to breathe new life into the historic Palace Theatre building on High Street.
"People’s retail habits have changed in recent years and while challenges like online shopping aren’t unique to Swansea, we’re doing all we can to create a mixed-use city centre fit for modern times that combines city centre living and offices with retail and leisure uses. Thanks to Welsh Government funding, the council has also recently purchased the former Debenham’s building, and the search for retail tenants there is on-going.
“What this investment led by the council has done is attract the private sector to invest. Examples include Hacer Developments leading on the construction of a ground-breaking biophilic building at the former Woolworths unit, local investment company Kartay Holdings planning to bring a number of empty units on Oxford Street back into retail and hospitality use, and the award-winning regeneration specialists Urban Splash who are on board to lead on the £750m transformation of key city centre sites including the Civic Centre and the area of the former St David’s shopping centre.
“Although not built by the council, the modern student accommodation in the city centre is helping drive more footfall there, and affordable homes are being made available thanks to investment from Pobl Group, Coastal Housing and others. There’s an awful lot happening in the city centre to meet local people’s needs while moving with the times and adapting to modern challenges. Change never happens overnight, but the combination of projects either complete, on-going or planned means there’s a lot to look forward to.”
Coastal Housing has also been heavily involved in changes in the city centre and was behind the Urban Village development which transformed an area of High Street.
Chief executive of Coastal Housing Group, Debbie Green, said: "Coastal is an active developer of housing and commercial premises in the city centre and we’re particularly proud of our investment in Swansea High Street, where we hope to soon begin phase 3 of our long-term regeneration plan for the area.
"Elsewhere in the city centre, our recent acquisition of 7-13 The Kingsway will save this landmark building from demolition, thanks to redevelopment proposals for a mix of affordable housing and commercial units. The former Castle Cinema is another iconic building that we are developing plans to bring back into use, with works hopefully starting in late 2023 or early 2024, subject to planning consent.
"These exciting plans, along with our recently completed developments at Castle Street and phase 1 of 85 Kingsway, and other large-scale redevelopments by Swansea Council and others, are helping the city centre evolve to reflect the ambitions and aspirations of local people and a collective commitment to future generations."
Ian Morgan is managing director of Morganstone, and a director of Kartay Holdings, mentioned earlier in this article, which is also behind the transformation of many city centre buildings.
He said: "Other cities have much more challenges than ours and you haven't got to look too far to see that. I find in Swansea that people have heard promises so many times in the past from the council that they are going to do this, they are going to do that, and there's loads of presentations given, but nothing has ever come of it, but I really do believe over the last four years there's been a massive slide towards the positivity. I'm from Swansea, I'm a Swansea boy and I worked in the Marina in the eighties when it was being developed, then everything ground to a halt and never came back.
"Rob Stewart, the chief executive, and cabinet members have a real push on to try and make a difference. I'm a Swansea boy and I wanted to make a difference ourselves. An opportunity came along to buy Princess House, which is a ten-storey office block, we spent some money in upgrading that and there is a waiting list to come into that property. We bought next door and turned it into grade A office space and we're getting a lot of interest there, so there's definitely demand for the right property in Swansea.
"We're doing Oxford Street the other side, we've got 33 apartments going in there and retail - we're going to totally redevelop that and bring some much better quality retailers into Swansea which is what it needs, really. We've also got McDonald's, we own the McDonald's building as well which overlooks Castle Square, and the plan is to extend that and put 34 private apartments on there for rent.
"The private sector alongside other developers who are also in the city centre, it'll make a difference. In a couple of years' time, Swansea, without a shadow of a doubt, will be transformed. We've got to repurpose certain buildings and get people's confidence back into the city, and then the retailers will come - I think that will come full circle.
"It will help footfall but also anti-social behaviour will be eradicated because you'll have people there actually looking after their own, you'll have eyes and ears in the city centre and people spending in the city. When you have people living and working in the city centre it just transforms it all.
"The fact that the council is buying back Debenhams is a big, big plus for the city again, and I just think the good news story keeps building. We have to look at the positives rather than the negatives. Swansea is doing really well compared to everybody else I'm looking at. And investment wise, and return of investment, we think Swansea is the place to be.
"I worked in Swansea Marina in the eighties and the nineties and it really built momentum but stopped then and went all to Cardiff. Cardiff has been stratospheric in its growth and has been somewhere that everyone has been proud to see what Cardiff has done. And now it's Swansea's turn. Cardiff has attracted some big investment, but it's Swansea's time now."
Retail expert Laura James, is a senior lecturer in business and management at University of Wales Trinity Saint David and I asked her about Swansea's prospects going forward.
She said: "I suppose the first thing to say is that it is still a very challenging period. I think for businesses and for households it's really challenging and obviously the cost-of-living crisis is having a huge part to play in that.
"The investment going on in and around Swansea is having a huge positive impact and we've got to look for the glimmer of light. The amount of investment going on in Swansea is really positive - things like the Swansea Arena have been a huge success with hordes of people, and it's about how do we get those people into the shopping centre. What we can't forget is we live in a beautiful area of the world. We have thousands and thousands of visitors coming to the Swansea area for Mumbles and Gower.
"If we look at Carmarthen, the University of Wales Trinity St David has pop-up shops in the area and it's something we will hopefully start to see more of in Swansea. Businesses and organisations need to adapt to how the customer wants to shop and it is about creating that environment.
"I think there is room for both independent and retail businesses and that they can complement each other. I'm an advocate for small business but there is also a place for larger organisations and I think they can live side by side and can complement each other. It's about seeing the trends coming and being agile in the approach going forward. It's basically about giving customers what they want. People go into shops rather than online for the experience, and it's about creating that shop experience."
Chief Executive of Swansea BID, Russell Greenslade said: "As chief executive of the Swansea Business Improvement District, one of my priorities is to help support existing, and ensure the continuation of, investment into the city centre. Since the pandemic, our retail sector has had its challenges, an experience shared by many cities across the UK. Customers are attracted to the convenience of online shopping, something they had to do during the pandemic.
"The popularity of e-commerce is something that some physical retail units have struggled to compete with, but many have embraced it and we have supported them in having specific click-and-collect short-stay spaces installed in numerous locations. Interestingly, once online-only retailers are now investing in bricks and mortar. Despite all these challenges, the heart of our city centre will not stop beating!
"The cranes we have in the sky show that we are definitely seeing significant improvements as the economy heals, and we're hopeful that the city will see growth in retail! Recently, the council acquired the former Debenhams store, with exciting plans to secure a retail use, and Parc Tawe is another prime example of investors' confidence in the city centre. That's not to mention the new independent businesses we have had opening! These all represent a significant step forward in revitalising the heart of our city centre and creating a vibrant, dynamic hub to enjoy. Swansea and our city centre is changing rapidly and it's fantastic seeing businesses wanting to invest in the city centre.
"There are a whole host of exciting upcoming events that are bound to draw in the crowds and the shoppers! We have the council's ever-popular Welsh Air Show and our very own first Krazy Races event held in Wales. To ensure all visitors to the city centre have a pleasant experience, we continually invest in clean and safe initiatives that have helped Swansea to recently be named the safest university city in the country, and have worked hard to support Swansea Council in reducing car parking costs. We envisage that these changes will make the city centre an even more accessible and appealing destination.
"Coming from Swansea myself, I firmly believe that our city centre really does have an exciting time ahead, making it an even better place to visit, work, shop, stay, study and do business. As a private sector business ourselves, I encourage people to keep on supporting our city centre businesses as footfall is the lifeblood of any business."
READ NEXT:
- The row over Swansea's increase in parking charges and how they compare with other cities
- How leisure centres and attractions are trying to recover pre-Covid trading in Swansea
- New café-bar in Swansea applies for premises licence
- Horrendous spelling mistake left by workers just outside school
- Which road in Wales is the worst for potholes?
