Five stores are moving out of Monks Cross Shopping Park.
It will leave two major units at the Huntington centre empty and reveals again the volatile nature of the retailing sector in the city and beyond.
All the stores are part of the troubled Arcadia Group.
These shops are going from Unit 12 at the centre: Evans, TopMan, TopShop and Miss Selfridge. Arcadia has served notice to quit when the lease expires in September.
And Arcadia is also leaving unit 10, which is home to Outfit. This also houses Dorothy Perkins and Burton concessions.
Smaller units
The news was revealed in planning documents submitted to City of York Council.
The owners of Monks Cross plan to divide Unit 12 into two smaller units, and extend the mezzanine floors.
This is because the retail park is struggling to find tenants who want such big stores.
In a letter from Eric Hall of property company TDH estates, he sets out the position:
The existing unit is currently occupied by Arcadia as their “branded” store – Evans, TopMan, TopShop and Miss Selfridge but on a lease which expires in September 2018; indeed Arcadia have served notice to quit both this unit and unit 10 (Outfit).
The existing unit size has proven generally unpopular in terms of reletting and accordingly the previous application was made to sub divide the unit while providing a modest increase in mezzanine provision for the newly created units.
No specific tenants are identified at this stage.
YorkMix has reached out for comment to Monks Cross Shopping Park, but has not yet had a response.
The news follows the decision to axe – then reprieve – Arcadia’s shops on Coney Street – Dorothy Perkins and Burton.