The shopping centre was already struggling with store closures prior to the pandemicKeith Edkins/GEOGRAPH

The Grafton shopping centre in Cambridge was put up for sale this morning (17/06) under estate agent Savills, who noted in the advertisement that the building would be ideal as a “lab space [or] hotel.”

The reason for the sale was not given, but the building has been advertised as a redevelopment opportunity, potentially being refurbished as a hotel, office space, or “alternative leisure” site.

The shopping centre has suffered in recent years with several shops closing, which has been heightened by the toll of the pandemic for the high street, closing non-essential retail stores for several months.

The estate agent said it would make “a unique opportunity for repurposing into life sciences and laboratory accommodation, with the potential to provide in excess of 80,000 sq ft of much-needed lab space in the city.”

This piece will be updated as further details become available.