Final three await Wigan Galleries decision  

Muse Developments, BCEGI with Cityheart, and Maple Grove Developments with Urban Splash, are the shortlisted  firms that will learn this month if they have been successful in their bids to deliver the £125m shopping centre overhaul. 

Place North West reported in February that Wigan Council had drawn up a shortlist of four prospective delivery partners to redevelop the 440,000 sq ft property, including developer Queensberry, which has since stepped aside. 

A spokesperson for Queensberry, which redeveloped the Metquarter shopping centre in Liverpool, said its ideas did not align with those of Wigan Council, prompting its decision to drop out of the race. 

The council bought the Galleries Shopping Centre from Luxembourg-based firm Colcastor Sarl in March 2018. 

Last year, its launched a competition for the redevelopment of the centre, intended to deliver a wider mix of uses and a reduction in retail space.

Options tabled for the £125m project include adding a hotel, residential, leisure, education or healthcare element, or flexible work spaces, as well as a cinema or bowling alley.  

The parties in the running to deliver the project are:

Muse Developments – part of Morgan Sindall Group, Muse has experience in town centre regeneration and is currently working on projects in Blackpool, Warrington, Salford and Birkenhead.

Cityheart and Beijing Construction Engineering Group International – Chester-based developer Cityheart, in a joint venture with Rise Homes, was appointed to deliver the residential element of the £120m Stockport Interchange in February. In Wigan, Cityheart is partnering with BCEGI, the Chinese-owned construction and engineering company delivering the £250m overhaul of Crompton Place Shopping Centre with Midia in Bolton.

Urban Splash and Maple Grove Developments – Manchester-based developer Urban Splash and Eric Wright Group’s development arm, Preston-based Maple Grove Developments, have teamed up on the Galleries project. Elsewhere, Maple Grove is working with Muse to revamp Preston Markets, while Urban Splash has joined forces with Peel L&P in a bid to deliver the £1.5bn ID Manchester scheme, for the University of Manchester.

Wigan Council expects to decide which party to appoint later this month. A council spokesperson said: “The procurement process has not yet concluded and no decision has been made on the partner for the Galleries redevelopment.”