Baillie Street could become Rochdale's new high street under scaled down plans to regenerate the town centre.
Genr8 Developments unveiled their initial proposals, which include a department store and more shops on the current bus station site.
Their design also includes an entertainment and leisure complex, on the site of the Black Box and a multi storey car park and supermarket at the top of Yorkshire Street.
An improved entrance to the Wheatsheaf Centre would also be built in Baillie Street, which would be used as a cut-through to Yorkshire Street.
The plans are now subject to a public consultation, which is taking place at venues around the borough next week.
Genr8 Developments was the only developer to be short listed to take on the long-awaited retail project, which is now being valued at £100- £150M.
The figure is less than the £250M which was initially proposed when plans for the retail development were first announced in 2007.
Work is expected to start in 2013 and could be completed two years later.
The project will start as soon as the existing bus station and 'Black Box' have been demolished and the new transport interchange and council offices have been built in Smith Street.
Mike Smith, the director of Genr8, said: "Our proposals aim to be inclusive of what is already there.
"Previous schemes were too big and could have led to more vacant shops.
"We want a more balanced approach that will allow the existing Rochdale to compete.
"There would be no point in building something new, only for what is already there to suffer."
Rochdale Development Agency and the council faced criticism after it was revealed that Genr8 was the only suitable developer to be short listed from seven who expressed and interest in the scheme.
But John Hudson, chief executive of the RDA says the situation has enabled them to work closely with Genr8 from an early stage.
Mr Hudson said: "It's very important to stress that this is not the finished article, because otherwise there would be no point in having this consultation.
"We are now very keen to listen to people and to the businesses that are already in the town centre.
"We believe this scheme integrates very well into what is already there."
The first selection process was abandoned in 2008, shortly after Wilson Bowden were awarded the contract, following a European test case involving a similar scenario in Greece.
During the first bidding process, the council did not outline which elements of the plan it considered to be the most important to potential developers.
The Greek case later ruled that these priorities should be made public, as did a High Court ruling shortly afterwards.
The public consultation will take place at the following venues over the coming week:
- The Wheatsheaf Shopping Centre- Monday 15 March to Friday 19 March.
- The Exchange Shopping Centre- Monday 15 March to Friday 19 March.
- Spotland Library, Ings Lane- Monday 15 March 10am to 1pm.
- Deeplish Community Centre- Monday 15 March 2pm to 5pm.
- Norden Library, Shawfield Lane, Tuesday 16 March 2pm to 5pm.
- Milnrow Library, Newhey Road, Tuesday 16 March 10am to 12.30pm
- Wardleworth Community Centre, South Street, Thursday 18 March 2pm to 5pm.
- Smallbridge Library, Stevenson Square, Thursday 18 March 10am to 1pm.
- Littleborough Library, Hare Hill Park, Friday 19 March 10am to 1pm.
- Castleton Library, Manchester Road, Friday 19 March 2pm to 5pm.
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STREETSHACK, RED BROOK (13/03/2010 at 09:49)
Its a macro version of the Black Box - which never fitted with the surrounding architecture and is now due, thankfully to be demolished to universal cries of joy & celebration Borough wide.
[If...and that's a big 'if' ..they are able to demolish the concrete foundations beneath it !!]
At least the Black Box was in isolation retaining the architectural heritage we still have remaining in the town center.
This above plan will WRECK the remainder entirely ...it is a a property developers dream..and a citizens nightmare...to add insult to injury we'll be paying for this in increased Counil Tax.
This council is in my view criminally negligent and has indicated through it's idiotic decisions it is no longer fit to have a duty of care for the voters and running of our town.
I say here and now that there will be organised non-violent direct action protests to this plan utilising everything from the lawyers letter to the D-lock and Eco-protest squat.
WAKE UP ROCHDALE !!!
They are destroying our Towns local heritage to replace it with corporate shops..many of them foreign owned companies utilising sweat shop conditions & child labour.
64% of OUR children in our town live below the official UK poverty line, why not use this £100-£150 million to benefit THEM rather than capitalist business to make profits for property developers & the very same banks who's greed we, [and our grandchildren],will still paying for a generation in bank bail outs after the Credit Crunch
How many people will be able to afford these shops ?
Is it worth losing our towns great Victorian architectural heritage for a blot on the landscape that will not EVEN be environmentally sustainable in less than 20 years?
This is the line in the sand that RMBC have crossed from incompetent clowns to insane lunatics and this MUST and WILL be opposed untill it is straight jacketed into the padded cell from which it escaped.
The first protest Eco-Squat will go up the day the bulldozers move in 2013 some of us at least STILL think our wonderful historic town is worth fighting for - and fight we will !
STREETSHACK, RED BROOK (13/03/2010 at 10:15)
http://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news/archive/4378-rochdale-lines-up-genr8-for-retail-core.html
“Former Amec chairman John Early's Genr8 Developments is in advanced talks with Rochdale Borough Council that could see it take on the town's troubled retail scheme.
The competition to choose a developer for the project had to be re-run after a legal challenge last year. Runner-up Sultan Properties launched a legal challenge in August 2008 after the council failed to publish the scores of each candidate when making its selection. Wilson Bowden won the original tender in 2007 to build the £250m element of the council's town centre master plan.
Roger Ellis, chief executive of Rochdale Borough Council, said in a statement: "Following a review of the expressions of interest received, cabinet will consider progressing discussions with Genr8 Developments about the retail plans for the town centre. Following further discussions on the proposals, we would intend to make a formal announcement in around November. If we do decide to shortlist Genr8, we will then enter into a period of negotiations and local people will be fully consulted on the proposals early next year."
Ellis added: "Bringing forward plans for the new council headquarters along with a library, customer services and office space for thousands of staff will be a significant milestone for the borough, with the retail development to follow, the transport interchange and the arrival of Metrolink. All this will go a long way to revitalising the town centre. These new projects and developments will undoubtedly have a massive effect on Rochdale and create a town centre to be proud of."
Work on the retail scheme could start in 2012, the original completion date before the contest was reopened."
"No one from Genr8 was availaible for comment"
Best get used to that : ' No one from Genr8 was availaible for comment" phrase Rochdale folk
Rochdale born., Witheld (13/03/2010 at 10:45)
STREETSHACK, RED BROOK (13/03/2010 at 10:52)
http://www.genr8developments.com/genr8.html
MPs gravy train, UK (13/03/2010 at 10:57)
sonofa tool (13/03/2010 at 18:40)
gatesofheaven (13/03/2010 at 21:47)
cheapside resident, middleton (13/03/2010 at 23:11)
Bald Bob, Oldham (14/03/2010 at 19:01)
Where has our money gone?, in Rochdale (15/03/2010 at 08:32)
More of the same clone retail that has damaged high streets throughout Britain.
More expensive PFI council offices and clone glass and steel transport hubs.
More "exiting" "vision" and no common sense or proper consultation about what Rochdale actually wants or needs.
There was a so-called consultation this weekend - It consisted of face painting for the kids and a pat on the head for the parents telling them how great the "new" Rochdale will be.
Cronic.
Helen McCarthy (15/03/2010 at 22:19)
Surely anyone can see that we need to move away from the property development at all costs model and utilise the splendour that we are surrounded with, at least for now!
I would hate to see Black Box 2 fail but without the support of the community then that is what is destined to happen. I urge OUR representatives to take a DECISIVE and BRAVE STEP NOW before it is too late. Remember the Council Officers are employed on our behalf. Rochdale is not Bury, nor should it aspire to be, diversity and innovation is what is needed, let us focus on what puts Rochdale on the map, whether it be the Grade 1 listed Town Hall or the birthplace of Co-operation and let these inspire us to look towards a different model for regenerating and creating resilience within the town and the borough.
Helen McCarthy
Broadfield Park.
empress of britain, Rochdale (16/03/2010 at 11:33)
CLIVE WILLIAMSON (16/03/2010 at 17:54)
PUT ROCHDALE FIRST MR ELLIS,NOT LINING SO CALLED EXPERTS POCKETS.
STREETSHACK, RED BROOK (16/03/2010 at 19:14)
cheapside resident, middleton (17/03/2010 at 21:34)
Of course not as your own town centre,range of shops,roads ,footpaths,safety to walk around freely,and to feel British around the town ,would be far better than Rochdale.By the way are any new mosques or community centres or associated facilities included in these plans? If not then perhaps are so called representatives could belatedly include some