Plans to completely overhaul the former Rackhams building in Altrincham town centre are set to be decided tomorrow.
Images were released back in August 2021 as Bruntwood Works and Trafford revealed their joint plans for the ‘iconic’ building.
The town hall has already invested heavily in a number of projects to regenerate Altrincham and Rackhams is just one of a cluster of iconic buildings in the Stamford Quarter that the council and Bruntwood Works plan to include in their transformation of the area.
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The proposed plans include a complete redesign of the ground floor; providing space for new bars and/or restaurants; and outdoor terraces on Stamford Square.
A 340 sq m ‘living wall’ will also be installed around the building to provide oxygen and help reduce noise levels.
The once-loved House of Fraser store, which closed in 2018, will also be transformed into 37,500 sq ft of commercial workspace, with space for shops, bars and restaurants on the ground and lower ground floors.
A two-storey extension and the creation of outdoor terraces on the first floor also feature in the plans, along with new cycle storage and showers on site to promote active travel. The bridge links to Sunningdale and Kingfisher buildings will also be demolished as part of the plans.
The transformation is part of Bruntwood Works’ £50m Pioneer programme – designed to create creative, sustainable work spaces.
The idea is to try and encourage more people to come into the town centre for leisure and work.
The building’s proximity to Altrincham Interchange also provides tram, train and bus links to the city centre, whilst improved lift and ramp access will be introduced to improve accessibility.
Rackhams was a fixture of Altrincham’s high street for decades before it was forced to close to in 2018 along with 31 other House of Fraser stores across the country.
Up to 50 people lost their jobs at the store when it closed and it hit the community hard.
The latest plans are up for discussion at tomorrow night’s Trafford council planning committee meeting.
