Manchester Update

The multi-million pound redevelopment of one of the City’s most famous landmarks finally got underway at the beginning of September with the start of construction work on site at Manchester Arndale.

A £150m investment by Arndale owner Prudential, the project will see the part of Manchester Arndale to the north of Cannon Street including the old bus station partially demolished and rebuilt over the next 36 months to form an extended and revitalised centre. The redevelopment will complete Manchester City Council’s Millennium Master Plan for the regeneration of central Manchester.

The extension, which is being managed on a design and build contract by Bovis Lend Lease, is due for completion in stages from October 2005. It will see the creation of 75 new shop units and will increase retail space in the Arndale by 27,870 sq m to reach a total of 130,000 sq m.

Fashion and homeware retailer Next will occupy a new anchor store facing Exchange Square, the home of Selfridges and Harvey Nichols. With four trading floors and a striking glass façade, the store will be the largest Next in the UK and is programmed to open in time for Christmas trading 2005.

A new glass and steel feature entrance from Exchange Square will provide a gateway to a new mixed-use covered mall, New Cannon Street. A glass roof and contemporary street style architecture will be used to give the mall a high street feel.

An additional five variety stores and a revitalised single level Market Hall will cement Manchester Arndale’s status as the City’s prime retail destination. The work has meant that all bus stops on Cannon Street closed at the end of August. These will eventually be superseded by the new interchange at Shudehill. In the meantime services will use the former Victoria Bus Station, Long Millgate/Corporation Street and Stevenson Square. The free Metroshuttle bus Route 2 has been re-routed to take account of this.

Meanwhile work is coming to fruition on the £10m refurbishment of the southern half of the centre. Yellow tiles have gone, replaced with panels of 140 million-year-old Jura Limestone, while internally a glass rooflight allows natural light into Halle Square for the first time since the centre opened in 1979.

The structure, which features 42 insulated glass panels, is almost 16 metres in diameter and sits 22 metres above the square.

Supported on steel trusses weighing up to 15 tonnes, each panel is strong enough to carry the weight of a person – enabling window cleaning to take place. A complementary lighting system has been installed toensure the square remains bright whatever the weather. To complete the transformation, a new feature staircase linking the square’s upper and lower malls has been installed.

Prudential development director, Jon Weymouth, said: “This is a key milestone in our programme for the redevelopment of the Manchester Arndale and one that has already significantly enhanced the look of the centre. We wanted to create a ‘wow’ factor among visitors to Manchester Arndale and with this spectacular glazed rooflight I think we’ve done that. But the remodelling of Halle Square is just the beginning of our plans and as the transformation of the Centre gathers pace, we hope to create plenty more wows along the way.”