Autumn opening for The Avenue

Developer Allied London has announced that The Avenue, the retail element of its Spinningfields development in Manchester city centre, will open in the autumn.

The Armani store was handed over last week for the retailer to start shop-fitting.

The 20,000 sq ft Flannels store will offer a number of fashion brands, while Armani already has plans to extend the size of its store.

Both Armani and Flannels signed up as anchor tenants to the scheme last year.

Neil Prosser, owner of Flannels, said: "Flannels is 30 years old and Manchester is where it all begun. The new store will be our flagship store with exciting new brands in a contemporary spacious environment."

"Lots of our customers have expressed great support for us moving to Spinningfields where the feel of the environment and atmosphere will really suit them and also our brands.

"It is without a doubt the best-designed area in the city and is getting increasingly better-known and busier. Our store is going to be a massive draw, and with many more retail and leisure operators still to come, it is only going to get stronger as a destination."

Armani brands Emporio Armani and Armani Collezioni will share a two-level 7,900 sq ft store.

The Avenue will also be complemented with at least two new restaurants and two new bars. Living Ventures, owners of The Grill on the Alley and Gusto Restaurants will operate one restaurant and one bar in addition to launching Jump, a new style of restaurant.

Mike Ingall, chief executive of Allied London, added: "We are now set to deliver our vision. The Avenue will start at Deansgate and run up to House of Fraser.

"We have revised the design over the last twelve months and have been very careful with our selection of operators.

"We now have a core group of retail and restaurant operators who have proved they can trade well in Manchester. We are creating a new destination that will complement Spinningfields which is already popular with visitors and the many people who work here."

Knight Frank is the retail letting agent for The Avenue.