Threemore high street giants have signed up to Rochdale’s new retail and leisure development, Rochdale Riverside.
Boots, River Island and JD Sports have collectively taken space totalling around 30,000 square feet, with the businesses planning to invest more than £3 million in brand new stores. The deals secure the stores’ long-term future in Rochdale.
In an important week for the scheme, M&G Investments also announced it will fund the £80 million project.
The deal, one of the most innovative of its kind, was struck with the council and the scheme’s developer Genr8. It will see the £80 million cost paid back over a 35-year period, funded by the rental income received from the occupiers.
Boots will be spending more than £1.5 million on a brand new Rochdale store which will sell luxury brands alongside its usual product lines.
River Island will invest £1 million in a new 2 level store featuring a ground floor and mezzanine, while JD Sports, whose international distribution hub is also based in Rochdale, will open a new unit which will be almost 3 times the size of its existing store, enabling it to stock a significantly wider product range.
