Ambitious proposals to link the Quadrant and St David's Shopping Centre are being considered by Swansea Council.It is part of a grand scheme to revitalise the city centre and draw big name retailers back to the area.
The St David's Shopping Centre has become an isolated part of the city.And Swansea Council has admitted it is not an attractive proposition to potential tenants.
But it now plans to look at ways of linking it to its more successful neighbour, the Quadrant Centre.
The council is hoping to form an alliance between the companies that own the two shopping centres in a bid to find a new way forward.
It has published a city centre-wide framework looking at how best to develop the area and attract more investment.
The struggling St David's Shopping Centre is seen as a key player in transforming the shape of the city centre.
Phil Holmes, head of economic and strategic development at Swansea Council said: "The framework proposes an exciting new development focusing on redevelopment of St David's and connecting into the Quadrant Centre and creating high quality public squares.
"Breathing new life into the St David's Shopping Centre has been a problem for many years. It used to be home to shops and HTV television studios but more recently many premises have lain empty.
Now the council is hopeful of turning things around.Mr Holmes added: "Both of these properties are in private control and therefore the private sector owners have marketed their property interests.
"In isolation, St David's is not an attractive proposition. However, the framework proposes a significant scheme of a critical mass.
"The difference now is that the council is seeking to form an alliance with the owners of the Quadrant and St David's to market this major development opportunity and create one of the best city centre development opportunities that will be marketed this year in the UK.
"St David's Centre manager Mark Beaumont said the idea of linking the city's two shopping centres was not new but added that he would like to see the plans come to fruition.
"That has been floated for a few years now. People have been talking about it for at least four years, but nothing concrete has happened," said Mr Beaumont."We would definitely welcome it.
"It would be good for us and good for the Quadrant. I'm sure our tenants would appreciate it too."
