New CGIs of how a near £70m transformation of the iconic former Debenhams store in Manchester city centre will look have been revealed for the first time.
The Rylands building on the corner of Market Street and High Street has been empty since the department store chain entered administration in December 2020.
Debenhams was later bought by Manchester-headquartered fashion giant Boohoo but all its stores were closed.
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The project will see the building redeveloped into a mixed-use development comprising retail, leisure and office space, under the plans from global real-estate investment firm AM alpha.
The upper floors of the grade II-listed building will be transformed into office space while a shopping arcade will be created on the ground floor. A four-storey extension will also be added.
The main works are expected to start in the coming weeks, with completion slated for early 2025.
Plans for the £68.5m redevelopment were approved by Manchester City Council in January 2021.
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The building has been vacant since Debenhams went into administration in December 2020. It had housed the department store chain since 1973.
It had been originally constructed as a warehouse for textiles manufacturer Rylands and Sons in 1932 and became a department store in the 1950s.
Construction company Russell WBHO is acting as a construction partner for the project while property companies OBI and Barker Proudlove are letting agents for the building.
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