Neglected railway arches near Manchester Piccadilly are poised for a makeover as part of a £1.7 billion scheme promising to breathe new life into the area. A cluster of Grade II-listed arches on Altrincham Street, just off London Road, could be transformed into bustling retail, leisure, and community spaces.
The ambitious regeneration project, spearheaded by developers Bruntwood SciTech, also proposes to pedestrianise the street and introduce a fresh public square. The most striking alteration to the district could be the erection of two towering commercial edifices, reaching 12 and 20 storeys high, plans for which were revealed on Monday (February 17).
Sam Darby, development director for Sister and Bruntwood SciTech, said: "Our plans are ambitious, but also sensitive to the area and its heritage.
"Through this next phase we want to create a place that provides opportunity, promotes innovation and brings the community together. Sister is a place for everyone and we're looking forward to continuing our work with the public to make sure it continues to deliver."
He said the proposed towers would include more than half-a-million square feet of floor space, with 'a mix of cutting-edge workspaces and flexible leisure and community spaces, with a central atrium connecting the two buildings'.
Although the 'zone C' proposals for the railway arches, Altrincham Street's pedestrianisation, and the new structures are still pending planning permission, Mr Darby said the business wanted to engage with locals about their aspirations for the development.
If given the green light, these will be the latest commercial structures in the Sister project, a £1.7 billion scheme aimed at rejuvenating the area sandwiched between Piccadilly and Oxford Road. The blueprint also includes the erection of three new student tower blocks to replace an existing multi-storey car park, while several university buildings, including the already-shuttered grade-II listed Sackville Building, are set for a makeover into office spaces.
The 'zone C' consultation is scheduled from February 17 to March 9, with face-to-face consultation events slated at the Renold Building (during its community day on March 1, 11am-3pm, and March 4, 4pm-7pm) and St Thomas Centre in Ardwick (March 6, 4pm-7pm).
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