A major new £60m events and exhibition venue is set to be built at Bluewater Shopping Centre at Greenhithe, Kent, under new plans unveiled by property group Lend Lease.

The 55,000sq ft (5,110sq m) Bluewater Events Venue is being seen as the "next milestone in the evolution" of the mixed-use complex and is designed to become a focal point for retail and leisure-led exhibitions, shows and events. Construction work is due to start in spring 2010 on the complex, which will be complemented by a 32,000sq ft (2,973sq m) plaza and 43,000sq ft (3,995sq m) of catering and restaurant space.

Designs for the Bluewater Events Venue have been drawn up by London-based architects Denton Corker Marshall, which is also responsible for designing the proposed new Stonehenge Visitor Centre in Wiltshire. Bluewater general manager Andrew Parkinson said: "It is the perfect complement to our existing offer and will create additional reasons to visit Bluewater for both existing and new guests, and become a focal point for leisure and entertainment in the UK."

Dartford Borough Council leader Jeremy Kite added: "Bluewater is a fantastic catalyst for good in the area, not just in terms of creating opportunities for local people and businesses, but for demonstrating on an international scale what can be achieved by the public and private sectors having a shared sense of scale and ambition."