Flagship retail centre to open in stages
THE opening of Rochdale’s new flagship retail and leisure centre will be staggered over several weeks.
Non-essential shops at Rochdale Riverside including Next, River Island, Superdrug, and H&M will be opening in phases from June 27th.
But the Marks and Spencer store was due to open yesterday.
The complex was due to open officially on April 6 but the launch was shelved after the country went into lockdown in March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
It boasts major high street names including M&S, Next and JD Sports, alongside a Reel Cinema, a Nando’s and a indoor mini-golf centre
Eateries including Nandos, Heavenly Desserts, and Bean are expected to open from early July onwards - but the council says they are waiting for individual operators to confirm their opening dates.
Asked if the new Reel cinema could also open on July 4 - with only half the seats available for each screen to ensure social distancing, a council spokesman said: “We will be working with Reel to open safely in line with government guidelines once they are ready, which we hope to be in mid-July. We will announce the confirmed date closer to the time.”
Councillor John Blundell, cabinet member for business, skills and regeneration at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “Rochdale Riverside is a vital part of the £400m regeneration of
Rochdale town centre and we’re looking forward to welcoming shoppers to this first class development over the coming months.
“Riverside will be a fantastic facility for our residents and visitors, bringing major high street retailers and a strong leisure offer, which will complement the many wonderful businesses we already have in Rochdale, which includes a number of independents.
“Although things will be slightly different at the beginning, we’re working hard to ensure that visiting Rochdale will be a really good experience that people can enjoy safely.”
A website with all the info about the shops, cinema, mini-golf can be found at rochdaleriverside.com/directory
The project is a huge part of plans to revive the town centre, and has been delivered by the council together with private sector partners Gener8 and Kajima.