Revitalising Rochdale – town centre improvements take shape
25 June 2009
We've placed an official notice to attract developers
for our £200 million town centre redevelopment proposals.
The winning developer will benefit from around nine hectares of
council owned land in the town centre for retail, leisure, public
realm and car parking with potential for offices and homes. The
brief also encourages developers to show proposals for a department
store along with a food-store as anchor tenants.
Following public consultation, a final decision is expected to
be made by councillors in summer 2010. In the meantime, work is
continuing to get the town centre ready for the new retail
developments with a programme of acquisitions pressing ahead.
Finance has been secured for a £60 million municipal riverside
development which will provide 300,000 sq ft of office
accommodation for 2,600 council, NHS and private sector staff along
with a new town centre library, training and conference facilities
by the end of 2011.
Work on building the new Rochdale 6th Form College is underway.
Work is also progressing on a programme of acquisitions to enable
building adjacent to the new transport interchange site on Smith
Street. Demolition of the existing council offices (known as the
black box) and existing bus station will enable space for the
proposed town centre retail development.
The site for the new town centre transport interchange has
already been cleared. Metrolink will arrive into Rochdale in 2012
and the new interchange will be designed to accommodate its
extension into the town centre.