Allied London tables plans for Campfield incubator 

I was sort of hoping that at least one of these market halls could be developed into a market hall, since Manchester’s city centre doesn’t really have a market hall… which is sort of odd since these are pretty much standard all across Europe and pretty much the world.
I mean, we have two beautiful market hall buildings just begging for this.
And yeah, someone will no doubt point out that little corner of the Arndale and claim that as a market… but no… that’s sort of like saying we have high speed rail in Manchester and point to Northern Trains…

The Air and Space museum closed because the Scoence Museum Group couldn’t afford repairs and renovations to the building. Funny how the money is forthcoming from Govt for some speculative development.

Why couldn’t the levelling up money have been used to refurbish the air and space hall and keep it open?

Something like Kirkgate Market would’ve been good, I guess Manchester doesn’t do retail very well

Here’s a great idea.
Why not turn these city centre prime location market halls into …… Market halls where people can go and browse enjoy and shop all year round … And appreciate these buildings like they do in Leeds and nearly every city in the country with their own city centre market halls.

EOD, what about Mackie Mayor? New Century Hall?
Exciting plans & great to see St John’s come together. Must say sentimentally, a real loss to see the back of the aero museum

I agree with EOD, with a growing population the city centre could do with a traditional food market hall.

Mackie Mayor and New Century are not markets, Manchester doesn’t have a market

I’m starting to seriously think that Manchester is not quite the exciting place it was. Leeds has a far more diverse economy – and hasn’t sacrificed the tried and tested. At the same time, the Yorkshire city has quietly innovated.

These buildings in Manchester should be turned into, well, a market.

Completely agree that at least one of these should be turned into a hospitality venue, similar to that of Mackie Mayor, on this side of town. Castlefield and the surrounding areas are growing rapidly, with very few eating/drinking venues on this side of town. Support start ups in food & drink as well as tech. There’re already a number of shared workspaces, offices and the likes of around this area. Having a food hall would complement the MOSI and social venues like Crystal Maze fantastically. Also, when Castlefield have gigs, it gives a great opportunity for local food and drinks businesses to showcase their products to wider markets too. Hope that the council reconsider this and invest in the neighbourhood for both residents and visitors alike!

Manchester has so much upper end retail theses days and going back had the biggest market in Britain. Nobody wants the traditional markets anymore as evidenced by the fact they are mostly gone. Makers market style pop up outlets would work but leave the Markets to the mill towns and Yorkshire. The world has moved on.

@Anonymous (re: Mackie Mayor? New Century Hall), I was actually referring to traditional markets, the sort we don’t really have, but filled with amazing foods & ingredients, things like butchers, cheese & fish mongers, fresh vegetables, salamis, delis, bakeries etc. This is the typical market you find in nearly every city in the world, sometimes with multiple markets, but we have none. No real ones that is.

These buildings were traditional markets, but now they are not.

Creative hub for media etc.? All going to need more and continuous cash inputs. Reinstating a market would mean fewer people looking in to computer/phone screens and more face to face people interaction.

I wholeheartedly agree with some of the earlier comments; at least one of these market halls should be kept as such. Aside from preserving some of the historic integrity of the original buildings, it would provide a space for locals to enjoy the buildings rather than simply ceding them to those who would work in them.

We’re also seeing a steady increase in tourism in Manchester, a market similar to the kind we see all over Europe would be a great opportunity to for local sellers, artisans and the like to showcase Manchester’s diversifying shopping and food culture.

In addition to that, we’re not exactly known for our balmy weather… it would be an incredible asset to the city to have a beautiful, historic indoor shopping space that supports independent local businesses, local food etc. The markets could be a wonderful boost to the local economy and the recreation scene for both residents and tourists.

It would be a crying shame to miss this opportunity.

scrambled eggs, the world has not moved on, what a ridiculous thing to say, markets around the world are thriving

Why am I getting Central Retail Park vibes here I.e. no sooner had MCC splashed tens of millions on a fading retail park when everyone piled in and said should be park now. Respect where it’s MCC’s great virtue is it has a long term strategy that it pursues rigorously, and is a reliable partner for developers. So it has a firm idea of what it wants from St.Johns and a strong development partner. Yes, Manchester does need a ‘real’ indoor market, and Kirkgate in Leeds is amazing. One of these would be a great anchor for an area that might need some help as it grows – Strangeways anyone? Otherwise one day it just has to sort the Arndale.

Leave it to the actual experts to decide what the ‘market’ wants in an area of the city that is being developed as a creative hub. Some hilarious comments though if not delightful naivety , but let’s leave the plucked chickens to Bury market ..actually the developers are doing just that and St John’s area is coming along nicely !

Manchester does Retail very well DH what a silly thing to say. It does most well , this is just another example.

@November 01, 2023 at 6:18 pm
By Rye&eggs

Reasonably well. Though the Arndale Centre is not a patch on the shopping experience of Liverpool One.

Barton Arcade is dead, Royal Exchange arcade is half empty, where’s the alternative retail in Manchester? It’s just the Arndale, there’s more menswear and bookstores for me in York

Retail in Manchester? Oh dear is that really the question here ? An awful lot of Bruh-cology on this particular article “ I saw a thing once bruh and it didn’t agree with my inner narrative “ Meanwhile back in reality St John’s is a distinctive and developing district and what the developers put here will only add to Manchester’s huge growth and development as a world class location, and that’s something we can all get behind…Bruh-cology or not.

Agree, retail in Manchester City centre is pretty dire. Whether or not this building is the right location for a retail or market,
it’s still publicly owned and the council ought to use its leverage to ensure its put to best use. Manchester is not short of offices. It IS short of retail services and things for people to do.

Manchester has a significant surplus of retail. If it wasn’t for the leisure sector picking up the slack in many areas, the city would be as exposed as many other cities appear to be to the changing retail sector. Likewise, as much as people like to shout about their being a significant surplus of offices in the city, the market actual tells us a very different story, there is actually a shortage of Grade A office space. Allied London, the developers of this scheme, accounted for about 70% of all new office space in the city centre in 2022, it was virtually all pre-let.