BAM Construction has been selected as the main contractor to extend intu Watford.

It forms part of intu's redevelopment work in the town centre.

The company, which owns the 1 million sq ft intu Watford shopping centre, acquired the adjoining Charter Place shopping centre in April 2013 which will be partly rebuilt and fully renovated as the extension to the centre.

intu is investing £100 million to integrate the two centres, creating a single, vibrant 1.4 million sq ft retail, dining and leisure destination for the affluent catchment across north London and Hertfordshire. The overall proposal includes the development of the extension and the refurbishment of the existing intu Watford centre, which currently has an annual footfall of 17 million. This scheme forms part of intu's intended investment pipeline of £1.2 billion over the next 10 years across its portfolio.

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BAM is appointed initially to develop the designs for the intu Watford extension, including demolition of the old precinct, the refurbishment of the existing car park block as well as a substantial element of new build including a feature canopy roof over a public square.

When completed, the extension will have larger, modern, retail units to attract top brands and further enhance the existing shopping experience at intu Watford. A new public square will also be created that will host a diverse events programme, such as street theatre and music shows. The two level shopping centre with car park will be completed with a 40,000 sq ft, nine-screen, 1,500 seat Cineworld cinema, which will include an IMAX screen.

(CD/MH)