Green light given for new Manchester pop-up space
Planning permission has been granted for a new retail and leisure pop-up space on Manchester’s Oxford Road.
Property company Bruntwood submitted the plans in August to transform the vacant courtyard area adjacent to Manchester Technology Centre at Circle Square.
Situated under the Mancunian Way flyover, the new ‘Hatch’ scheme will offer a range of pop-up and semi-permanent retail fixtures designed to attract aspiring entrepreneurs and established traders looking to try something new.
Artisan coffee house Takk has been confirmed as the first customer. It has taken two 1,000 square foot units on the site for an espresso outlet and a bar.
Philip Hannaway, co-owner of Takk, said: “We’re excited to bring two new concepts to Hatch, an espresso bar and also to introduce Takk’s baby brother Öl, a nano brewery and keg bar. Öl’s nano brewery is a collaboration with Byrne the Cake Brewery, and we can’t wait to serve our own brews alongside a selection of beers from some of the world’s best breweries.”
Bruntwood hopes that Hatch will help to establish Circle Square, its £750 million joint venture with Select Property, as a leisure destination and provide a major boost to the Oxford Road Corridor community.
James Tootle, retail surveyor at Bruntwood, said: “Hatch will be the first step in providing a boost to the existing retail and leisure offer on the Oxford Road Corridor and transforming this area into a destination for people to visit.”
Phase one of the scheme is due to open in December and will be curated, operated and managed by the team behind Bruntwood’s Afflecks shopping emporium.
Tony Martin, general manager at Afflecks, said; “As we celebrate 35 years of successful trading at Afflecks, this is a great time to open up further opportunities to independent innovative traders in an exciting retail and leisure concept within an area with high footfall.”
On completion, the flagship Circle Square development will include over one million square feet of commercial office space, 1,281 new homes, 100,000 square feet of retail and leisure space for shops, studios, bars and restaurants, and a car park and two hotels.
