homes were ultimately demolished to make way for the improvements. Merry Hill had brought about the first free-standing Pizza Hut in the UK, the first drive-thru McDonald's restaurant and the largest Texas Homecare store — all opened during 1986. While the centre was still being developed in the late 1980s, plans were unveiled to build the world's tallest tower at Merry Hill. The tower would have been 2,000 feet tall, with a hotel at its base, a restaurant halfway up and a nightclub plus observatory at the top. However, plans to build it were scrapped in 1992. Having already purchased a 50% share from Westfield in March 2014, Intu Properties acquired the remaining 50% from the Queensland Investment Corporation in June 2016. The Waterfront Redevelopment of the Round Oaks steelworks site did not commence until 1989, when construction began on The Waterfront development, which consisted of Phases 6–8. Phase 6 saw the construction of of offices (the first of which were occupied in December 1990), Phase 7 saw the construction of of restaurants and bars and Phase 8 saw the addition of a business park, which was completed in 1995. Waterfront Way was opened in December 1990 to serve the new complex and provide a road link to the shopping centre and also to the main A461 road between Dudley and Stourbridge. The Waterfront development created some 4,000 jobs, but the onset of another recession in 2008 saw many businesses vacate the development, leaving a high percentage of office units empty. In June 2011, in a bid to bring jobs back to the Waterfront, the area was among the candidates for enterprise zone status once again — 17 years after the original enterprise zone expired. Effect on surrounding towns Prior to the first retail unit opening, planning officials working for Dudley Council highlighted the likely adverse effect the proposed shopping centre would have on nearby Brierley Hill, Quarry Bank and Stourbridge; and wanted to curb retail development within the enterprise zone. Neighbouring local authorities and West Midlands County Council agreed, fearing the effect retail provision at Merry Hill would have on shopping in West Bromwich, Wolverhampton, Walsall, Birmingham and other centres. However, the Evening Mail newspaper took the view that impact on unemployment should be the deciding factor, and a restriction on retail development ought only to be made if the number of proposed new retailing jobs in the enterprise