Plans to create a £26m food and drink venue at Media City have been scaled back, it has been revealed. Peel L&P’s revised proposals would now see the firm invest £5m to build a waterside venue at the Quayside shopping centre's southern walkway.
The refreshed plans for the venture, to be located at the rear of the shopping centre facing the Manchester Ship Canal, include six pop-up units created from shipping containers; new terraces for outdoor dining; enhanced landscaping and an indoor independent food hall and community space.
Peel L&P’s scheme replaces a proposal approved in 2019 for a £26m leisure project named ‘the Watergardens’. That 35,000 sq ft project began in 2019 but was put on hold and ultimately reworked due to the pandemic.
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The original project was aimed at large operators, whereas the revised plan is more geared towards independent traders. The waterfront promenade connecting the Millennium Bridge to Quayside which featured in the Watergardens proposal is not included in the updated plan.
Stephen Wild, Peel L&P’s director for strategic investment and growth, said: “Since [the Watergardens permission] we have lived through a pandemic that has refocused our minds on what our local community needs.
“Extensive consultation with those who live and work within Salford Quays during 2021 identified an appetite for an enhanced provision of independent shops, cafes and restaurants, markets or a market hall and a medical centre.
“We’ve listened to all the views shared and we’re excited to have revised our plans to reflect what people have said. We hope this next phase of investment will enable the shopping centre to successfully play its part in the Quays town centre provision for the long term as the number of residents here grows.”
The project team includes architect Chapman Taylor, landscape architect Gillespies and property consultancy Alder King.
