Rochdale’s flagship shopping and leisure development, Rochdale Riverside, has been named commercial development of the year at the Insider North West Property Awards.
The central Rochdale scheme, a partnership between Rochdale Borough Council, Genr8 Developments and Kajima, beat off the likes of Brooklyn Hotel, Manchester, and new state-of-the-art office developments at 2 Stockport Exchange and 2 New Bailey Square.
Judges said that in this category, scale, complexity and impact were crucial and that the Riverside development was a ‘slam dunk’ on all three fronts. They also commended the developers for their ‘tenacity and will’ to make it happen.
The Riverside development has gone from strength to strength since opening in April last year, despite the economic impact of the pandemic.
Anchored by M&S, it comprises a mix of major retailers, including River Island, Next, H&M and Boots, as well as leisure operators like Reel Cinema, Puttstars, Bean Coffee, Greggs, Heavenly Desserts and Dunkin Donuts.
Nandos, New Look and Loaded Burgers have also joined the line up and are expected to open their doors before Christmas.
The Riverside scheme was created as part of the wider £400m regeneration of Rochdale town centre, which has been delivered by Rochdale Development Agency (RDA), on behalf of the council.
The project includes the reopening of the River Roch and the creation of a brand new transport interchange, as well as the ongoing restoration of Rochdale Town Hall.
Councillor John Blundell, cabinet member for economy at Rochdale Borough Council and member of the RDA board, said: “I’m really proud that our successful track record in working with partners to deliver game changing schemes has been recognised in this way.
"This Riverside development has helped transform Rochdale town centre and has proved a hit with residents, with visitor numbers steadily climbing, despite the obvious challenges faced by high streets up and down the country this past year. The scheme has already created a number of jobs for local people and will play a major role in our borough’s covid recovery, as well as continuing to boost our economy in the much longer term.”
Man charged in relation to Heywood incident
Town centre crackdown uncovers illegal trading and unsafe properties in Rochdale
Oldham man says cancer charity support helped rebuild his life alongside NHS care
Local election candidate fuming over his name being spelt wrong
The town with a solution to their traffic problem
Local Elections 2026: What every party in Rochdale has to offer ahead of local elections
Family secures £16200 key worker support to move into new home in Bury
Four men charged after incident at Rochdale AFC match against York City
KYP Easter programme brings creative activities and healthy meals to Rochdale children
Middleton widow appeals for answers after husband dies from asbestos related cancer
Man in his 20s fighting for life after Royton crash as police urge witnesses to come forward
Fun five-days in Spain boosted the confidence of high school students ahead of their Spanish exams
