New name for key development fails to make its mark (From This is Hampshire)

New name for key development fails to make its mark

6:32pm Wednesday 9th July 2008

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"DEVOID of imagination", "It sounds like a stain" and "lacklustre" - those were just three of the responses to the new name for one of the biggest building projects in Southampton.

The West Quay Phase Three project, a massive extension to Southampton's WestQuay Shopping Centre, has been renamed - and it hasn't gone down too well.

Developers behind the scheme have decided to call the development Watermark WestQuay.

Hammerson says it spent many months working with creative specialists and Southampton City Council to come up with the new name.

The centre, the biggest commercial development planned for Southampton since the original WestQuay, will be built on the former Pirelli factory site next to Quays swimming complex and the existing shopping centre.

As well as a multi-screen cinema, the project includes a public piazza, a hotel and a 200- apartment block, as well as shops, bars and restaurants.

Andrew Hilston, project director for Hammerson said; "It is essential we create a strong identity to generate civic pride while linking the new scheme to the local area. Watermark WestQuay reinforces the reputation of our existing shopping centre, which is a well-known retail and leisure destination.

"The new name also makes reference to the city's heritage, referring to the time when the sea reached the historic walls, which will be an important feature of the new scheme for visitors to appreciate and enjoy.

"We feel the name also reflects the quality of the development which will combine exceptional architecture and well designed open space."

Cabinet Member for Economic Development, Councillor Royston Smith, said: "The development will, without doubt, attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city and will be a major boost for the economy. This is a fitting name for what is set to be a spectacular development in the city."

• Read the full story in today's Daily Echo

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