Genr8 Developments have agreed deals to bring three retail and leisure brands to the £80m Rochdale Riverside scheme.
The South African restaurant Nando’s, famous for its Portuguese inspired peri-peri chicken dishes, has taken 3,500 sq ft on a 15 year-lease.
Nando’s will be joined by luxury dessert chain Heavenly Desserts, taking 2,000 sq ft of space on a 10-year lease.
Superdrug will also be joining the retail mix with a 4,500 sq ft unit, offering the best in accessible health and beauty products and services.
These deals follow handover to M&S, H&M, Next, Boots, Reel Cinemas and Hollywood Bowl in the past few months, with all commencing internal fitout works on site.
Delivered in a joint venture between Genr8 and Kajima in partnership with Rochdale Borough Council, Rochdale Riverside comprises approximately 200,000 sq ft (60,970 sq m) of retail and leisure accommodation in the centre of the town.
These new deals mark another major step forward for the scheme, which will bring 24 new retail and leisure units and a six-screen cinema to the heart of Rochdale town centre. Work on site is set to complete in April 2020 with a launch festival scheduled for Easter weekend.
Additional occupiers to have signed up to take space at the scheme include Boots, JD Sports, River Island and H&M.
Lauren Gavaghan, Development Manager at Genr8 Developments, said: “We are delighted to have agreed a deal to bring three popular brands to the Rochdale Riverside scheme. These occupiers will complement the current tenant mix in the scheme and will help drive forward the leisure element.
“The scheme is now 80% let and with works continuing to progress at pace, we are now looking forward to completion and the launch.”
Councillor Allen Brett, leader of Rochdale Borough Council, said: “Rochdale town centre has undergone a major transformation in recent years, and Rochdale Riverside is a key part of it. These new additions will complement the ever-expanding offer in Rochdale town centre, which includes fantastic new independent restaurants, Bombay Brew and the Mannerist, and will soon welcome a Hogarth’s pub as part of a £1m restoration of one of our major historic buildings.”
Cheetham & Mortimer and LTL Property are joint agents on the scheme.
Warwick Smither, director at Cheetham and Mortimer, said: “This is a massive endorsement for the town and the Rochdale Riverside development.
“Securing brands such as Nando’s, Superdrug and Heavenly Desserts is a huge boost for the scheme, and everybody involved. We are looking forward to the launch of Rochdale Riverside and announcing further deals as we draw closer to completion.”