Boutique hotel set for Corn Exchange

Aviva Investors has revealed plans to build an 86-bedroom boutique hotel as part of its £30m redevelopment of Manchester's Corn Exchange.

Aviva announced last year that it would renovate the former Triangle shopping centre in Exchange Square, which is housed in a grade-2 listed building, into a predominantly restaurant offering.

The building was damaged in 1996 by the IRA bomb, but was restored in 2000 maintaining its original external features. Future works include reconfiguration of the internal units and creation of new pedestrian routes into and through the centre to make it more accessible and welcoming.

Aviva has now said that it plans to include a hotel as the central element of the development, alongside 13 independent restaurants.

Eight of the restaurant spaces are currently under offer.

Aviva Investors is working with redevelopment manager Queensberry Real Estate to source interested operators with Jenics appointed to manage enquiries.

Simon Green, asset manager at Aviva Investors, said: "We are committed to the full redevelopment of this remarkable building. The vision is to create a new legacy destination for the city that will cement its future fortunes and act as a catalyst for an even more exciting regeneration of this part of the city centre.

"Our research also tells us that even with the combined planned hotel openings, Manchester is still identified as having a shortage of such an offer, this could be a very exciting opportunity for the right partner and we're very interested to start discussions with interested parties."

The Corn Exchange was built in 1897 and opened in 1903.