Page 34 - Real Rochdale Issue 12 Winter 2021
P. 34

Rochdale Riverside: award-winning


               flagship shopping & leisure development

                                   transforms town centre




          Despite opening during the onset of a global pandemic, the

          award-winning retail development Rochdale Riverside has gone

          from strength to strength and transformed the town centre.


          After years in the pipeline, the
          long-awaited Rochdale
          Riverside shopping centre was
          slated to open in April 2020.
          Back then, a global pandemic
          certainly wasn’t on the cards.


          Covid-19 hit, and the opening
          of Rochdale’s flagship centre
          seemed in jeopardy – yet it
          has continued to attract major
          names to town and defy the
          economic fallout seen across
          many UK high streets.

          Anchored by M&S, it comprises
          a mix of popular high street
          retailers, including River Island,   Also joining the line-up and     the scheme has proved to be a
          Next, H&M, Superdrug, JD           expected to open their doors       big hit: “Riverside has helped
          Sports, The Works and Boots,       before Christmas 2021 are          transform Rochdale town
          as well as leisure operators       popular restaurant chain           centre, with visitor numbers
          like Reel Cinema, Puttstars        Nando’s, fashion retailer New      steadily climbing, despite the
          mini golf, Bean Coffee, Greggs,    Look and one of seven Loaded       obvious challenges faced by
          Crust Pizza and Heavenly           Burgers locations.                 high streets this past year.
          Desserts plus an independent
          menswear store, DCM.               Named commercial                   “The scheme has already
                                             development of the year at the     created jobs for local people
          America’s favourite coffee and     Insider North West Property        and will play a major role in our
          baked goods chain Dunkin’          Awards in October 2021,            borough’s covid recovery, as
          Donuts came to Rochdale in         Riverside was created as part      well as continuing to boost our
          October, one of just 16            of the wider £400m                 economy in the much longer
          branches in the UK.                regeneration of Rochdale town      term.”
                                             centre, delivered by Rochdale
                                             Development Agency (RDA),
                                             on behalf of the council.


                                             Councillor John Blundell,
                                             cabinet member for economy
                                             and RDA board member, said



          REAL ROCHDALE - WINTER 2021                       34                                                                                                                    35                     REAL ROCHDALE - WINTER 2021
   29   30   31   32   33   34   35   36   37   38   39