Peel creates Trafford City

The 3.5m sq ft plot of land around the intu Trafford Centre and other tourist attractions such as Airkix and Chill Factore is set to be named Trafford City by owner Peel.

Trafford City will encompass retail, leisure and office space that includes Event City and occupiers such as Play Factore, David Lloyd, DW Sports and office tenants Reckitts Benckiser, Capita, Spie and Travel Counsellors.

There are currently 16,500 people employed on the site, which Peel said attracts 44 million visitors a year.

According to Peel, there are plans to double the current number of 750 hotel bedrooms across Trafford City as part of a masterplan for the area.

The announcement comes as work is nearing completion on the £45m Western Gateway infrastructure scheme that will bring an additional road link into Trafford City from the A57 in Salford to Trafford Boulevard and Junction 10 of the M60.

The final go-ahead for the Metrolink line between Trafford City and Manchester is also expected to be given shortly.

Mark Whittaker, group property director for The Peel Group, said: “From as far back as 20 years, it has been Peel’s vision to create an unrivalled mixed use destination in the North West. It started with the opening of intu Trafford Centre in 1998 and has evolved over the years to become a destination not just for retailing but also for leisure, work and living accommodation.

“The Trafford City brand not only gives an all-encompassing name to the entire area that will become recognised both regionally and  also on a national level. It will help to unify the attractions – creating a powerful collective offering to consumer and commercial customers alike.”

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Trafford is a metropolitan borough of Greater Manchester and the “city” defined by this plan shares precious few characteristics with a real city centre or a single use destination like Sportscity, that the moniker is usually attached to. The area does not look, feel or function like a city so the branding is more likely to alienate and confuse prospective occupiers.

By Bad PR

Interesting idea, the whole area has changed over the last 20 years and I can see the sense in bringing it together as a single destination. There is so much to do at Trafford City it’s a surprise it’s taken so long to one up with a single name for the area.

By TJL

Not completely on topic granted, but I loathe the Trafford Centre. How anyone can enjoy that sterile, cacophonous and gaudy property elephant is beyond me. Plenty do though, so what do I know? I suppose it forced Manc and Liverpool centres to up their game. And perhaps I should take another look at the area if, as TJL says, there’s more to Trafford City. Still, the abiding image of I have is of glazed over shoppers standing round the kitschiest fountain ever – a group of dolphins shoot water tens of feet into an atrium – while contemplating the unbearable lightness of being (probably). But there is a Build-a-Bear. Goddamn you Build-a-Bear!!!

By Sceptic

It all hinges on Trafford Waters. If that works as a place, then “city” might be an appropriate title, but at least the infrastructure is beginning to catch up with the development.

By Gene Walker

Makes loads of sense to me, esp given Trafford Waters adding resi to the mix.

Although what is the “Heritage Quarter”?

By scrub

Hate the Trafford Centre and don’t expect to feel much better about Trafford City. In common with Cheshire Oaks it sucks the lifeblood out of more traditional and much more interesting centres.

By Paul Blackburn (Chester)

Trafford Sh*tty would be more appropriate as it’s so close to the sewage works.

By Andy

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