Aroundtown Magazine January/February 2024 edition

OUT & ABOUT
Forge Island enters
final phase
Building work is on track at
Forge Island in Rotherham as
the development enters the final
months of construction ahead
of opening to the public towards
the end of summer 2024.
Forge Island is the flagship regeneration
development that will bring a much-needed familyfriendly
offer to Rotherham town centre. The new
£47m leisure development will provide Rotherham
people with an eight-screen cinema, a 69-roomed
Travelodge hotel, several independent restaurants,
as well as a new public greenspace.
Work began on site in November 2022 and
construction has continued at pace, with all
topping out milestones due to be reached early
this year on the cinema, Travelodge hotel and
retail buildings.
Raife Gale, Senior Development Manager at
Muse, who are co-delivering the project, said:
“Developing a transformational scheme of this
scale always comes with its challenges – not least
the difficulties of building on an ‘island’ surrounded
by water. So the fact we’ve remained on track is
a testament to the hard work of the whole project
team. It’s fantastic to see the impact Forge Island
has already made on the town centre skyline, and
we can’t wait for the community to come and enjoy
all that it has to offer when it opens later this year.”
Once construction completes at the end of
spring, the tenants will fit out their premises ready
for the scheme opening.
Five independent eateries are set to open at
Forge Island: South Yorkshire restaurant chain,
The Rustic Pizza Co; Portuguese and Southern
African eatery, Casa Peri Peri; Estabulo Rodizio
/ Sakku Samba – a dual-branded concept
honouring the Gaucho style of cooking and a
fusion of Japanese-Brazilian cuisine; luxury coffee
shop Caffé Noor; and local burger, shake and
dessert restaurant, Cow & Cream.
Together with Rotherham Markets, the
improvements at Forge Island are a key part of
Rotherham Council’s large-scale regeneration
plans aimed at breathing new life into the heart of
the borough.
Over at the markets, main work will begin this
spring once a developer has been appointed.
The plans, which were approved in the summer,
will bring together the library, markets, a new food
hall, gallery, and event spaces onto one site, off
Drummond Street.
The outdoor market has already been moved
to Effingham Street in preparation and will remain
there until the new premises are complete.
FORGE ISLAND
A family friendly leisure destination in the heart of Rotherham
OPENING
2024
Caffé Noor
Estabulo Rodizio
Arc Cinema • Travelodge
• Casa Peri Peri
• Sakku Samba
• Cow & Cream
• The Rustic Pizza Co.
newforgeisland.co.uk
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