LondonMetric launches ‘rare’ Manchester leisure opportunity

The AO Arena owner is looking for an operator to take over 100,000 sq ft of vacant space within the complex.

Specialist consultancy Stärka has been appointed by LondonMetric Property to lease the opportunity, which has been branded as Victoria Exchange.

The space, which has historically housed offices and the Arena 7 cinema, is accessed from Trinity Way and through Manchester Victoria Station. It adjoins the area, which is leased to ASM Global.

The space is currently split over two floors; there is a 50,000 sq ft unit at ground level and the remainder is spread across a mezzanine level.

Designed by Corstorphine & Wright to suit large format experiential operators, the space benefits from seven-metre floor to ceiling heights, according to the landlord.

There is also a direct link to a 980-space car park next door. This could be converted to create a 1.7-acre roof terrace under indicative proposals.

Adam Crossley, associate at LondonMetric Property, said: “This new leisure space has been conceived to capitalise on the significant recent [nearby] successes.

A 1.7-acre roof terrace forms part of the vision. Credit: via Aver PR

“Following the completion of a large-scale investment project and launch of the brand new VIP ‘Mezz’ experience earlier this year at the iconic AO Arena, we are confident that the right operator will further boost the venue’s reputation, footfall and success.”

The launch of the space follows the publication of a report by Cushman & Wakefield identifying Manchester as one of six English cities that could accommodate up to 415,000 sq ft of new experiential leisure operators, LondonMetric said.

David Bell, co-founder of Stärka, added: “The combination of a large format bespoke space set within an established leisure and entertainment destination in a globally renowned city is very rare.

“Consequently, we are already experiencing strong interest from international operators seeking to launch in the UK, along with a number of new concepts or an established brand looking for something unique.”

Launched in 2022 by Bell and Sammy Jones, Stärka has advised several leisure operators on deals totalling more than 600,000 sq ft, including Gravity Active Entertainment, Blacklock, Côte, Bundobust, Oxygen FreeJumping, and Bean Coffee.