Fort Fantastic!
Carl Palmer
A RUN-DOWN, out-of-town site in north Manchester has been transformed into a glittering £100m shopping park in a determined bid to woo trade.
The Fort Shopping Park at Cheetham Hill has been hailed a key milestone in the regeneration of the area, and instantly created more than 500 jobs - with hundreds more expected to follow in the summer next year.
The huge investment package has left the developers happy that they've got their strategy right after attracting so many household names.
Located at the junction of Cheetham Hill Road and Queens Road, with more than 1,400 free parking spaces, the Manchester Fort is easily accessible and expected to attract shoppers from as far afield as Bolton, Rochdale, Oldham and Stockport.
Shops and stores at the retail park include B&Q, Sports World, Comet, George, Index, The Link, and TK Maxx.
By Christmas, Boots, Mamas & Papas, Royal Doulton, Thorntons, Martin Dawes and Maplin Electronics, will also open their doors.
Investment
When fully opened, the park, currently open Monday to Friday from 9am-8pm; Saturdays from 9am-7pm, and on Sunday from 11am-5pm, will comprise more than 30 retailers with more than 1,000 jobs.
The regeneration project has been funded by Pillar Property in partnership with Manchester city council.
Pillar Property director Mark Sterling said: "I am looking forward to seeing Manchester Fort developing its role within the community - attracting new investment and retailers, and brining further employment opportunities to the area."
Among those recruiting staff from the local community are B&Q, who have employed more than 200 full-time and part-time staff, a quarter of them aged 45-60 years old, and five per cent are over 60 years old.
Manchester city council leader Richard Leese said: "The opening of the first phase of stores at Manchester Fort is a significant landmark in the regeneration of north Manchester.
"It is a clear sign of investor confidence and will help improve the quality of life of people who live in the area.
"Shopping choice in Manchester has been given a tremendous boost by the Manchester Fort shopping park, and we're very pleased to see so a line-up of some very impressive tenants will more in pipeline."
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