Deeley Group’s new man at Belgrade Plaza

27/03/2012

The Deeley Group has appointed a senior property figure to oversee its Belgrade Plaza mixed use development in Coventry.

James Crawford, the former Group Property Investment Director of Town Centre Securities PLC, has joined the company to help drive forward the £110 million development in Coventry city centre.

Belgrade Plaza currently features 64 apartments – which are all let – a 120-bedroom Premier Inn, Bella Italia and Pizza Express restaurants, a casino complex let to Gala, and an award-winning car park.

Further phases are also planned to include an hotel as well as more leisure and retail units and further substantial residential accommodation.

Crawford, who is an expert in restructuring property assets, is hopeful of attracting a new tenant to the only vacant bar/restaurant unit on the site.

He said: “Quality has been the watchword which has underpinned everything done at Belgrade Plaza – from the standard of construction downwards.

“That will certainly continue to be the case. We are looking to move forward with the remaining phases in conjunction with new occupiers and we are in the process of refining and finalising our development plans.

“We have been very pleased with the successful take-up of our apartments where we have a waiting list of applicants. This is the established premier city living scheme in Coventry and we are confident that further similar phases would prove suitably popular.

“Already the residential and leisure elements have added to the evening and leisure economies and there is potential for that to increase.

“We hope to attract a quality operator for the corner unit of 4,435sq ft and we are pleased with the level of interest it has already attracted.”

Peter Deeley, of the Deeley Group, said Crawford’s experience would be key to the future of Belgrade Plaza.

He said: “James has got great experience and he is ideal for us and for Belgrade Plaza.

“We have a very good scheme and the existing phase has proved successful but we need to drive the project on and that is just what James has been brought in to do.”