Captain Cook Square’s multi-million pound transformation has taken a huge step forward, after new plans for two of the project’s centrepieces were unveiled.
Middlesbrough Mayor Andy Preston wants to turn the struggling shopping spot into the ‘biggest regional leisure hub’.
Now two firms set to open there have offered perhaps the biggest glimpse yet of that vision, after unveiling exciting new details about their sites.
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Boutique bowling firm Lane 7 announced on Tuesday it will open a family friendly venue called Level X, which will include everything from darts and batting cages to virtual reality games.
And the firm behind an e-sports café, called The Wired Lobby, have submitted a planning application to turn the former Peacocks unit into a gaming mecca – creating 30 new jobs in the process.
Developers say they want that venue open by May.
(Image: Teesside Live)
The authority bought the square for £8m in 2020, and secured £9m from the Future High Streets Fund to help shift the focus away from the ailing retail sector towards leisure and hospitality.
Several firms, including big names like TJ Hughes, have quit Captain Cook Square in recent years, prompting the council to take action to help secure the long-term future of the town centre.
An upmarket cinema and a brewery are among the other businesses expected to move into the area, where around one in six units were empty last September.
However there is hope this new development will inject a youthful energy into the square, with a planning statement for The Wired Lobby stating it would add some “vitality” to the area.
Those plans show that the proposed venue could have a 400-capacity venue – complete with a 100 seat gaming arena – which could stage esports tournaments.
Elsewhere, there would be 50 gaming PCs and 40 Xbox and Playstations, along with several state-of-the-art racing simulators “including a full size shell of a BTC racing car with elite level equipment”.
Gamers would be able to play the likes of League of Legends and Fortnite at the venue, which represents the town’s first venture into the billion-dollar esports world.
(Image: Teesside Live)
The sports often streamed on platforms like Twitch. In 2019 alone, 660 billion minutes were spent viewing the sport online with hundreds of millions paid out in prize money.
Plans state around £350k will be spent on refitting the venue with the equipment, although Edwin Ford, managing director of developer Gaming Venues LTD, told Teesside Live the final figure will likely be even higher.
“I think that is just the computer equipment alone!” he said, adding that he hoped the venue could eventually even grow once demand takes off.
(Image: Middlesbrough Council)
“We are hoping to get to a position of 120 desktops available, plus we are upping our driving simulators which was five up to eight.”
He said that he’s hoping to open in May, with a soft opening before hand. Ideally, he would like as many of the firms opening in the area to do so at the same time.
“I think that gives a bigger impact and will draw a larger crowd to Captain Cook Square,” he added.
Plans show the venue would create 15 full-time and a further 15 part-time roles, which the Lane 7 backed project is also now recruiting for roles via Linked In.
The Darlington-based firm is one of the North East’s major business success stories in recent years, expanding across the country.
(Image: Middlesbrough Council)
The Level X brand involves a significant expansion, with three sites confirmed – including one in Glasgow – and a further five in negotiations.
The company said the launch will take place in the summer, while CEO Tim Wilks said: “Level X is all about merging the games you loved as a kid with cool tech elements to elevate the experience.
“We’ve been all over the world looking for the latest and best games with a particular focus on tech and I’m confident that we can bring products the UK market has never have experienced before.
“The venues themselves are bigger than we’ve ever launched before and the fit-outs will be fantastic – with loads of colour, different zones and huge attention to the detail.”
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