Dolphin centre facelift: History of the original Arndale mall (From Bournemouth Echo)

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Dolphin centre facelift: History of the original Arndale mall

11:00am Saturday 28th January 2012 in News

The original Arndale Shopping Centre, built more than 40 years ago, changed the way we shop, as one of only two covered shopping malls in the country.

When the renamed Dolphin Centre celebrated its 40th birthday in 2009, among the 115 stores were a handful which had been there since its birth – M&S, Beales, Oswald Bailey, H. Samuel and Boots.

Poole’s run-down town centre was transformed when work began in June 1966 on a new road layout and the £2m development rose out of the remains of the High Street, Seldown Lane and Kingland Road.

The Arndale Property Trust built an American-style shopping mall with 93 shops, stores and offices phased over two years, a sports centre and library.

When it opened on July 1, 1969 the cost had risen to £3m, but it was so successful during its first year, with 200,000 shoppers a week, that plans for an extension were announced at its first birthday party.

Falkland Square was created and the name changed to the Dolphin Shopping Centre in 1988. Grosvenor acquired it in 2003 and Wereldhave paid £85m for it in December 2010.

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Comments(8)

nermal says...
1:29pm Sat 28 Jan 12

I still refer to it as the Arndale - showing my age, I know, but old habits die hard!