Now that contractors Bowland & Kirkland have descended onto Bond Street in Chelmsford, soon to be home to the £120 million upmarket shopping complex surrounding a three-storey John Lewis, the much talked-about project feels like a reality.
Metal fencing blocking off the entire 550-space car park was erected on Tuesday (January 6) - albeit three days late due to a delay in the delivery of the hoarding.
When the hoarding is removed in September 2016, in its place should be 20 shops, five restaurants and a Cineworld.
But will this shopping centre persuade you to do the bulk of your shopping in the city rather than heading to Lakeside and Bluewater?
A consultant from the developers, Neil Ridley from Aquila, has already said the Chelmsford site doesn't compare to the industrial scale of the two mega malls - but here, regardless, we argue why staying local will be better.
1. Lakeside has no John Lewis!
And if you truly want to shun John Lewis in Chelmsford for an alternative elsewhere, you will indeed have to venture as far as Bluewater in Kent or Norwich - or the capital.
2. A 'town centre' feel
You can't walk to a green space like Central Park, no further than three/four minutes from Bond Street, in Lakeside and Bluewater.
3. Condensed
The 20 shops, five restaurants and the Cineworld will be condensed tightly around the current Bond Street car park. Lakeside is 133,200 metre-squared in floor space - which is quite big.
4. Traffic
Is traffic on the A12 and M25 worth bearing in order to get to Lakeside and Bluewater?
5. Supermarket
A large Tesco supermarket sits opposite the future John Lewis site, a touching distance away for our food shopping needs. Lakeside merely has a Tesco Express.
