Piccadilly Gardens Set for £10m Refurb
Manchester’s Piccadilly Gardens are set to receive a £10 million facelift as plans have been unveiled for a multi-million pound regeneration.
Legal & General Investment Management Real Assets (L&G) will give the city centre space an overhaul as part of a £10 million investment, in conjunction with Manchester City Council. L&G’s lease area is set to be extended in return.
Bill Hughes, Head of Real Assets at L&G, said that they see the partnership with Manchester City Council and the proposal for Piccadilly Gardens as a chance to regenerate a prominent and well-used space in central Manchester that is also a thoroughfare to other parts of the city
He continued: “Under the proposals L&G will dedicate £2m worth of investment in improvements to Piccadilly Gardens to make them more attractive and welcoming to families while deterring anti-social behaviour.
The plans include removing the existing Pavilion building and feature wall and replacing them with two new Pavilion buildings linked by a covered area of new public space for year-round use. Greater Manchester Police have been consulted on the landscaping design “to deter anti-social behaviour and improve natural surveillance”.
“The proposed Pavilion design will bring a new vibrancy and economy to Piccadilly Gardens which we hope residents can be proud of and visitors to Manchester will see as a destination in its own right,” Bill Hughes said.
“L&G has a longstanding track record of working with progressive local authorities to bring forward regeneration and improvements to social infrastructure projects. We see Piccadilly Gardens as a prime example of this kind of collaboration in action.”
The proposals for the Pavilion and Gardens will be undertaken and paid for by L&G. It is estimated that the cost will surpass the £10 million mark, of which £2 million will be invested in public realm improvements.
