I had a couple of hours to kill in Cambridge yesterday so decided to document the present state of the Grafton Centre as it is 2 years since we last photographed the Grafton Centre. All the shops, restaurants and shops at the East Road end have now closed and a decision has been made as to how it is to be developed. Planners say the existing main entrance of the Grafton will be kept, with a corridor of shops leading to an outdoor courtyard that will take visitors to Burleigh Street, opposite the current Primark store. Two empty shops on Burleigh Street will be demolished to create another new entrance. A new life sciences building will replace Abbeygate House on East Road, with restaurants on the ground floor. The rear of the centre, where there are escalators and empty units, will become a "breakout area" for workers at the labs to use. There will also be a new Premier Inn hotel opposite the former Vue on East Road - see Artists Impression at end of Blog.
Last photoshoot 2023 - still some activity at the East Road End.
The plans for redevelopment