What will happen to the lovely old Debenhams buildings?

[LubaLuca]

I'm thinking about the Debenhams buildings in two cities that I'm familiar with. They're huge, very old, purpose-built department stores, and I can't think of anything else they're likely to be used as.

They're far too big to be used by another retailer, would be hugely expensive to convert to office space (and probably useless in light of the recent shift to home working), and although I can imagine them being converted to interesting flats it would be very difficult to create the required parking per abode in city centres.

I do hope they aren't left to ruin

The old Lewis's department store in liverpool was empty for ages but has recently been split into an apartment hotel, post office and other small units.
These big units are going to need careful planning to rethink the usage, hope the older character buildings like chester are left to ruin.

The Gloucester one is being taken over by the local university and will be turned into a uni campus.

I hope the one at Clapham Junction will have it's clock fixed. The amount of times I have glanced up and thought that was the time. I think it's permanently stuck on 20 past 4 or something

I had my ears pierced in Gloucester Debenhams. Sad days

Had my ears pierced in Debenhams too!

I wonder what they will do with the Trafford centre one. It's a big plot. Shame as it's always been Debenhams end and John Lewis end

Birmingham is the area that gets me..

Grand Central was literally built around the John Lewis and obviously Debenhams took up a huge chunk of the bullring..
Actually saying that most of the top floor of the bullring (Topshop, River Island, Forever 21) is closing..
But they occupy such massive spaces its hard to see how they'll be turned into anything else...especially the ones in the bullring..

Worcester one is becoming a food hall for small producers - sort of like an indoor farmers market

I can't see my local one (Norwich) becoming anything other than housing.

Two people in my sixth form had Saturday jobs there. I have lost contact, I wonder what they are thinking.

The Meadowhall one is one of the key shops in the shipping centre. It takes up the whole of one end.

@Ilovemaisie

At least it's right twice per day!

These are the current plans for canterbury -food Hall, flats and axe throwing www.kentonline.co.uk/canterbury/news/new-store-to-offer-shops-cafe-and-axe-throwing-244414/ although that might only be the main building.

Westwood x might be a challenge, purpose built building not really suitable for flats or offices

@Shieldingending

Had my ears pierced in Debenhams too!

Gosh so did I

The Stevenage one that was purpose built a few years ago in the Retail Park will be M&S with Food Hall.

I can imagine the Cardiff one becoming problematic. Its part of St Davids Centre and not really the right shape to split into smaller units. You couldn't turn it into flats.