Member Article

Manchester icon to get £15m make-over

The historic Corn Exchange in Manchester city centre will undergo a £15m refurbishment as part of a plan to convert it into a destination dining quarter.

The building’s owner, Aviva Investors, will work with developers Queensberry Real Estate to transform the strugging shopping centre into a restaurant hub, providing 100,000 sq ft of dining space, comprising up to 12 restaurants and 30,000 sq ft for a food market operator.

A planning decision is expected in October, which would allow refurbishment work to start early next year, opening before Christmas 2014.

The interior of the Grade II-listed building will be completely transformed to highlight its Edwardian architectural features and open space for diners under its glass dome, with a substantial reconfiguration of the existing retail units planned.

Under the new plans, the surrounding streetscape would also change,with tables and chairs transforming Exchange Square, Cathedral Gardens, Cathedral Street and Fennel Street into an al fresco-dining destination. The planned development will bridge the medieval element of the Cathedral with the modern exterior of the National Football Museum at Urbis.

Aviva associate director Simon Green said: “We realise it doesn’t have a substantial future as a retail destination. The retail market has changed, the units in the building are small and not suitable for some retailers, and it has not been driving in footfall.

“But the building is iconic, it is in a fantastic location, it is surrounded by other footfall locations and leisure destinations, and we feel we have the vision to create a premium dining destination.

“The refurbished Corn Exchange will provide an environment where the best regional and independent food outlets can flourish in this incredible building – a gastronomic exchange featuring at least a dozen new restaurants and independent food retail outlets.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .