Hollywood Bowl is first to sign at Preston’s Animate

The bowling operator will be an anchor for the city’s £40m cinema and leisure complex, whose planning application was submitted last week.

Hollywood Bowl will set up 16 computerised lanes at its 21,000 sq ft space in Animate. The Maple Grove Developments-delivered scheme will also have a bar, diner and amusement area.

City council officials said that future Animate tenants would be announced in the coming months. Other slots at Animate have been reserved for a cinema, restaurants and bars. There will also be a car park and new public square by the building when it is complete.

When it opens, the Animate Hollywood Bowl will be the first location for the brand in Preston.

“Welcoming Hollywood Bowl on-board the Animate scheme is a really positive step forward in our plans to bring this exciting city owned development to Preston for the whole community to benefit from,” said Preston City Council leader Cllr Matthew Brown.

“As well as bringing investment and jobs to the people of Preston, this key anchor operator will help support the regeneration of our city centre,” Brown continued. “This major family attraction is a first for the city centre and will complement our existing leisure offer.  It will bring people into Preston and further support our strongly established small business community.”

Bradys acted for Maple Grove on the lease deal, while Bruce Gillingham Pollard represented Hollywood Bowl.

Construction on Animate is expected to begin in 2022, provided planning permission is granted. The council hopes the building will open in spring 2024.

Animate is one of several projects that make up Preston’s Harris Quarter Towns Fund Investment Programme. Other schemes in the programme include the creation of a Careers and Employment, Information, Advice and Guidance Hub and the building of the Preston Youth Zone.

Maple Grove Developments is the development manager for the scheme, which is designed by Leach Rhodes Walker. The project team also includes Eric Wright as contract administrator, Planit-IE as landscape architects, and CBRE as planning consultants.

Waterman is acting as the structural engineers and M&E engineers for the project. Civic Engineers is the highways engineer and Warrington Fire is the fire engineer.

Gleeds is in charge of cost management and GIA Chartered Surveyors is tasked with wind mitigation.

Looking to learn more? Animate’s application reference number with Preston City Council is 06/2021/1589.