St Modwen signs retailers for £100m Wythenshawe revamp

St Modwen has announced two prelets at its Etrop Court retail development in Wythenshawe town centre, Manchester.

Discount supermarket Netto has taken a long lease of 125 years on a 12,000 sq ft store for £2.3m.

Household goods retailer Wilkinson has taken a 23,000 sq ft building, on a 15-year lease at £7.25/sq ft.

Both will be situated on the three-acre site which fronts Poundwick Lane at the northern end of The Birtles.

St Modwen is also delivering 4,000 sq ft of new office space, seven retail kiosks from 300 sq ft to 935 sq ft and 79 additional free car parking spaces.

Steve Knowles, development director at St Modwen, said: "These deals provide a major boost to our ongoing improvement plans at Wythenshawe town centre. Over a number of years we have seen the town centre steadily improve and attracting new national retailers to the area is key to this continual programme of improvement works.

"The fact that we can attract this level of interest in Wythenshawe in this economic climate is a clear sign that the town's stock is rising. These deals will add hugely to the town's retail offer and we are sure they will trade very well."

A planning application for the development has been submitted and it is anticipated that construction work will start in summer 2009 with a target date of the second quarter of 2010 for retailers to take occupancy of the new stores.

Johnson Fellows acted for St Modwen; Ian Scott & Co advised Netto; and Wilkinson represented itself.