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The Triangle To Become Corn Exchange Again
Welcome changes to be made to Manchester landmark
We share the owners' ambitions to restore this magnificent building to its former glory – and of course bring back into use its historic Corn Exchange name.
The centre’s owners, Aviva Investors, have submitted plans to Manchester City Council for the first phase of the transformation of the shopping centre, creating a new dining and shopping experience in Exchange Square.
The proposals focus on restoring the building’s Edwardian architecture by removing all the old signage, metal structures, out-dated lighting and repairing the damage to the stone facades. Confidential first revealed this in our review of the excellent Salvi's here.
Crucially, the company also plans to return the centre to its original historic name of The Manchester Corn Exchange.
The City Council asked businesses for their views on the proposals, and a report going to the City Council’s executive meeting on March 14 will highlight the responses received.
Neighbours Manchester Cathedral and Chethams School of Music both welcomed the proposals, and further discussions are now planned with both organisations as more detailed plans are brought forward.
Councillor Pat Karney, Manchester City Council's city centre spokesperson, said: "It's great to see the plans for this important city centre site move forward. We share the owners' ambitions to restore this magnificent building to its former glory – and of course bring back into use its historic Corn Exchange name.
"At the same time it will be transformed into a modern, exciting shopping experience that will attract visitors from far and wide."
You can follow Jonathan Schofield on Twitter here @JonathSchofield
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This is great news. I just hope that part of the refurbishment includes a considered strategy for encouraging more people to shop there.
You'd almost think the city council has some kind of strategy about improving that side of town that might involve, oh, I dunno, marrying up the Manchester and Salford side of the river, creating a massive new public area outside the cathedral, developing new shops, opening a new museum and supporting the redevelopment and expansion of the medieval school!
Shut up you sarcy tosspot (Anon#2). That general area is not exactly a ghost town at the moment, and yet the Triangle is chronically unpopular, despite being surrounded by some of the most high-profile destinations in town.
"..a modern, exciting shopping experience..." used to include the old Corn Exchange's tarot reader, the bloke that sold 1,000s of film stills, Clampdown Records and Herman's Hippy Head Shop.
By 'exciting', does this still mean Zizzi, another Quicksilver shop and perhaps a new branch of Lush? Wake me up when it's over, won't you darling?
Is there such thing as a 'new dining and shopping experience' these days anyway? Perhaps both will be performed on a trapeze/compulsory skates to really pull in those visitors from 'far and wide'.
Hmmm....Compulsory Skates. Good name for a band that.
Oh dear Northern Rob, you are depressed today aren't you?
How can I be depressed with The Avenue, Spinningfields, Manchester Arndale, The Trafford Centre, The Triangle AND Printworks to choose from this weekend!!!!
Erm.....yay?
Wonder if they could find a space for this chap to set up shop? menmedia.co.uk/…/1472253_the-vinyl-countdown-music-fan-searches-for-new-home-for-record-collection-of-1m-items---video…
That would be amazing !
Wasn't the triangle all done up about 20 years ago ,I remember zinc and a few other shops opening up in there. Zinc was a Conran restaurant and quite good . It's a joke Manchester ,Trade at spinning fields looks dead, king st looks dead, council wants to block Deansgate no doubt Selfridges marks and spencer will be hit with reduced footfall . Long term plan for Manchester=there isn't one we're just going to create a huge shopping city with crap chain shops and restaurants. AND NO SHOPPERS!
I'll still spend my dosh in Manc. :) YAY TO CORN Exchange. The Triangle has been a let down. Hope they do better this time.
If this is the case, I hope they bring back the dodgy piercing and tattoo shop! I bunked off school to have my belly button pierced there when I was 15. Happy days! ;)
Please, please let us have the old flea market back in there in some form or another.
Oh my goodness I am soo pleased I could cry, finally going to be the Corn Exchange again, what a fab building it was, can I ask that the stairs in what is now Whistles are "left alone" and the rest of the buildings interior redone in keeping with them, I have ranted before that it should never have been changed to the dismal "Triangle”. I spent many hours as a teenager wandering in there spending my hard earned pocket/Saturday job money.
Whilst business rates are still at the same level, it's not easy to attract reailers of even a market for corn.
The local council will need to stop being so greedy on rates and we may get somewhere.
Can we nail this myth? Manchester City Council does not set the level of Business Rates. All Non Domestic Rated properties have a rateable value which is set by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), part of H.M. Revenue and Customs. This figure is then multiplied by a the “non-domestic rating multiplier". This is fixed each year by the Government. For 2011/12 this has been set at 43.3p, or 42.6p for small businesses. This is not as exciting as the myth that a greedy anti-business Manchester City Council deliberately loads costs onto hard-working businesses, deliberately damaging enterprise and initiative out of a misplaced sense of justice and equity. It does, however, have the benefit of being true. One more fact: the rates collected are paid to central government, and then reallocated to the City Council as a grant, based on population levels. Sorry to be so unexciting on a Friday afternoon.
I also used to go to the tarot reader too, brings back memories.....the tarot reader said circa 20 years ago I'd spend most of my time in front of a computer. No s**t Sherlock
I'm wondering why my comment has disappeared! Apolgies if it ends up on here twice:-
Can we nail this myth? Manchester City Council does not set the level of Business Rates. All Non Domestic Rated properties have a rateable value which is set by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA), part of H.M. Revenue and Customs. This figure is then multiplied by a the “non-domestic rating multiplier". This is fixed each year by the Government. For 2011/12 this has been set at 43.3p, or 42.6p for small businesses. This is not as exciting as the myth that a greedy anti-business Manchester City Council deliberately loads costs onto hard-working businesses, deliberately damaging enterprise and initiative out of a misplaced sense of justice and equity. It does, however, have the benefit of being true. One more fact: the rates collected are paid to central government, and then reallocated to the City Council as a grant, based on population levels. Sorry to be so unexciting on a Friday afternoon.
This is true but this is not going to get over the problem of business rates killing retail. It does not matter if we all a shopping precinct a corn exchange or a triangle, it's still going to cost business a fortune to set up there and will not be attractive to retailers / tattoo artists etc etc. Flat taxes add to fixed xosts, business will not set up if they can't clear their fixed costs and ar eth enemy to business.
You are nore being quite clear Joan, the rate is 43p x the estimated rateable value which is on a whim by Valuation Office Agency. Appeals are taking 3 years at the moment and it's a stupid systme.
The solution is simple, local business tax should be an extension of corporation tax so a succesful business will pay more tax and local councils will hav an incesntive to help business be successful rather than simply being a cash cow to milk.
The truth is that all councils load costs onto business but not out of any sense of justice & equality. It's simply that most council staff are bitter about not being able to get a proper job and try and destroy business out of pure bitterness. Most will only be happy when we all work in meaningless public sector jobs and all the enterprise is sucked out of us.
Nie sarcasm Duke Fame.
I would love to see the corn exchange revived !
Can we bring back The Royal Exchange shopping centre too with all the antiques and independent fashion designers?
Can we have Kendals back now please?
I'd like to see a set-up where by more independant/original sellers are given spots. Similar to the old Festival Village at Trafford Centre, there are masses of talented people that could use this space to give us a different style rather than just filling it with another bunch of boring "chains"
With a chance to re-develop that whole area make this the start of something new and interesting
It may be a nice to have but what sort of rents and business rates would you think are appropriate for the "masses of talented people that could use this space"?
I'd suggest that even if the landlord could offer lower rents, the rates will make it a non-starter.
I'm delighted about this. I look forward to seeing the plans come to life.
I'm so happy to see that the TV screen and its noise will no longer be polluting the open space in front of the Corn Exchange!
It's simple. Manchester needs the old Corn Exchange market back. For years Manchester has traded on it's alternative culture and yet what does it give back in return other than gradual errosion and gentrification?
After the bomb we took a wonderful building that served well the residents and independent traders of Manchester and created an upper middle class shopping experience with flagship stores, coffee shops and restaurants in place of it. Stores that completely failed to attract custom.
And since there has been no independent marketplace comparible to it in Manchester. That is what we need here. Something that brings uniqueness back to the area. Not another food/coffee shop/designer brands mall (sounds suspiciously like the old Triangle with a new name) to go with the failed Great Northern and Spinningfields stores.
Why do we need the Covenant Garden of the North? We should be proud to call it the Corn Exchange of Manchester.
I'm not sur that we need the old corn exchange back. Farmers don't need to bring their stock to Market in the old way anymore, it would be under utilised as a corn exchange.
No independent marketplace? What's Afflecks then?!