The Kingdom Shopping Centre
Kingdom Shopping Centre – Marchmont Gate
LocationGlenrothes, Fife and Scotland
Coordinates56°11′46″N 3°10′22″W / 56.19609°N 3.17273°W / 56.19609; -3.17273
AddressGlenrothes Town Centre
Opening date1963
DeveloperNeale House / Glenrothes Development Corporation
OwnerMars Pension Trustees Ltd[1]
No. of stores and services131 units
No. of anchor tenants1
Total retail floor area40,000 m2 (430,000 sq ft)
Parking1,500
Websitekingdomshoppingcentre.co.uk

The Kingdom Centre is the main shopping destination in Glenrothes, located in the town centre. It is the largest indoor shopping centre in Fife and is one of the largest single-level indoor shopping centres in Scotland with around 40,000 m2 (430,000 sq ft) of (gross) floorspace.[2]

The shopping centre has some of the highest levels of footfall in Fife and contains around 130 shop units,[3] a variety of cafes, the town's central library and the Rothes Halls - the town's theatre and civic centre.[2] Brand stores in the Kingdom Centre include Boots, CEX, Game, Home Bargains, Iceland, JD Sports, New Look, Sports Direct, Superdrug, Toytown, Trespass and WHSmith. The centre also has a wide selection of independent retailers, food and drink outlets, banks, building societies and other service operators.

A bingo hall, a cinema and a ten pin bowling alley sit adjacent to the shopping complex and Glenrothes bus station is located next to the southeast end of the centre. The Glenrothes Baptist Church operates from a former office block on the northern side of the shopping centre at Falkland Place.[4]

History

The Kingdom Centre was developed over a number of phases, coinciding with the rapid growth of the new town and the population as more people moved into the area.[5] Initially, the Glenrothes Development Corporation envisaged that the town centre area would be built on the same principles of the English new towns such as Stevenage and Bracknell consisting of a series of shopping streets and squares separated from traffic. As shopping trends and attitudes changed in subsequent decades, much of the town centre became internalised, consistent with the delivery of the shopping mall development model being made popular in the USA and also being delivered in other towns and cities across the UK.[6]

Bus station and Postgate, part of the first phase of the town centre shown in the 1970s
Town Clock & former Co-Op department store built in the 1960s at the eastern entrance
Unicorn Square, built in the 1980s

Phase 1

The first phase of the Kingdom Centre was built around Central Avenue, between North Street and Church Street in the eastern portion of the town centre. This was in the form of two to three storey shop and business units orientated around a modern Pedestrian zone creating what is now Lyon Square, Albany Gate, Kintyre Gate and Postgate. A three-storey glazed butterfly roof and a modern fountain were incorporated as features in the design around the main public square.[7] The Golden Acorn Hotel, a ten pin bowling alley, the town's Post Office, job centre and a bus turning circle were all delivered as part of the early phases of development. A Co-Op Department store opened in 1964 at the eastern entrance to the square and a town clock was built as a feature adjacent to the store.[8][9]

Phase 2

The design of the first phase had a number of problems, including a leaking glass roof on the main square, vandalising of the public fountain and experiencing wind tunnel effects due to open and exposed entrances to the square. In 1976 a decision was taken to remove the glazed roof and the fountain and roof over the square at shop fascia height creating an internalised space. The shopping centre was also extended west to the point where Falkland Square is now. A Woolworths store (now Home Bargains) was built to anchor the west end of the centre. A Presto supermarket (later Safeway and then Dunnes Stores) and the New Glenrothes House office block were built as later additions to the second phase.[8][9]

Phase 3

In 1982 a third phase was built extending the centre further west. The domed Unicorn Square was the principal feature of the third phase and Unicorn House, an office block with distinctive reflective glass, was built to the north of the development. A Fine Fare supermarket (now sub-divided into New Look, Toytown and One Below outlets) anchored the third phase of the shopping centre when it opened.[8][9][10] A cinema, bingo hall and nightclub were also constructed at Carrick Gate.

Phase 4

Kingdom Shopping Centre western entrance
Rothes Square, built in the 1990s
M&S Foodhall on North Street

In 1993, with the winding up of the Glenrothes Development Corporation (GDC) on the horizon, a fourth phase was built. This was partially funded with a central government grant to provide any last major projects for the new town. The fourth phase incorporated the Rothes Halls, a multi-purpose community facility with a café, theatre, library and conference facilities.[8][9][6]

A major feature of the fourth phase is Rothes Square complete with a pyramid-shaped glass roof, a hanging triangular clock, circular feature floor design and a mock "alfresco" style café. A Somerfield supermarket (latterly a Co-op but currently vacant) anchored the fourth phase of the centre when it first opened.[8][9][6]

Later development phases

A M&S Foodhall, an Iceland Food Warehouse, and a parade of shop units were completed in early 2019 sitting adjacent to the shopping centre at Falkland Gate and North Street.[11][12] Starbucks and Burger King also opened outlets on North Street in 2021.[13]

Future proposals

A range of development projects are proposed to regenerate the town centre steered by a masterplan that was approved by the Glenrothes Area Committee in March 2021. This seeks to address a variety of negative trends including addressing the reduction in retail operators and office floorspace in the town centre due to changing market and working requirements and rationalisation of Fife Council's office estate. The masterplan also recommends celebrating the unique legacy of public art bequeathed to the town, introducing new business opportunities outwith the Kingdom Shopping Centre, creating new public spaces and meeting areas including a new town square, and supporting an enhanced evening economy.[14][15] Older parts of the Kingdom Shopping Centre at Albany Gate are proposed to be demolished and redeveloped.[16][17]

References and notes

  1. ↑ "New owners for Kingdom Centre". Fife Free Press. 3 September 2013. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Glenrothes Town Centre Profile" (PDF). Fife Council. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 August 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  3. ↑ "Kingdom Centre - Store Guide" (PDF). Retrieved 15 June 2023.
  4. ↑ "Glenrothes Baptist Church Find Us". Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  5. ↑ "Do you remember the lost shops of the Kingdom Centre in Glenrothes?". The Courier. 18 May 2022. Retrieved 8 June 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 Cowling, David (1997). An Essay for Today- The Scottish New Towns 1947–1997.
  7. ↑ "12 pictures showing how the Kingdom Centre in Glenrothes was built – and the shops within it". Fife Free Press. 5 December 2022. Retrieved 5 December 2022.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Ferguson, Keith (1982). A History of Glenrothes.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Ferguson, Keith (1996). A New Town's Heritage, Glenrothes 1948–1995.
  10. ↑ "1982: Fifty years ago Fine Fare opened a major new supermarket in Glenrothes". www.fifetoday.co.uk. 17 February 2022. Retrieved 17 February 2022.
  11. ↑ "Concept drawing shows new M&S at heart of new look Glenrothes town centre". The Courier. 6 September 2016. Retrieved 8 September 2016.
  12. ↑ "Glenrothes MSP Welcomes New Marks & Spencer Store". Jenny Gilruth MSP. 8 February 2019.
  13. ↑ "Two new drive-thru restaurants planned for Fife town". www.fifetoday.co.uk. 27 April 2020. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
  14. ↑ Neil Henderson (21 March 2021). "Glenrothes Masterplan: First glimpse of how town could transform over next decade". The Courier. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  15. ↑ "Glenrothes Town Centre Masterplan – Report to Glenrothes Area Committee by the Head of Business and Employability" (PDF). Fife Council. Retrieved 5 April 2021.
  16. ↑ Neil Henderson (24 February 2016). "Kingdom Centre Co-op demolition will create 'huge potential'". Fife Today / Glenrothes Gazette. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
  17. ↑ "Councillor almost ready for 'dance of happiness' as start date given for Glenrothes redevelopment". The Courier. 14 December 2016. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
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