Wigan Council and developer Cityheart have signed agreements allowing principal contractor Galliford Try to deliver the first phases of construction work where the Galleries shopping mall stood until recently in Wigan town centre.
Galliford Try was selected by Wigan Council’s developer Cityheart back in March to undertake the first phase of construction.
Galliford Try will start work next week, following directly on from the large-scale demolition and site investigation works already completed by Beijing Construction Engineering Group International (BCEGI) and PP O’Connor.
The £135m Wigan Galleries scheme involves the construction of new homes, leisure and retail facilities as well as a market hall, food court and hotel.
The agreement means construction can start immediately for the new 90,000 sqft market hall. Galliford Try will also undertake ground and enabling works across the wider site to progress the next phases of the new mixed-use neighbourhood.
A series of meet-the-buyer events have already been held for local businesses to find out how they can get involved with the project.
Wigan Council leader David Molyneux said: “The new market hall is at the heart of the project and set to be the first new building to open. Wigan is a traditional market town, receiving its royal charter in the 13th century. This development will bring our market into the 21st century, creating a vibrant, modern and thriving space for our traders and visitors to the town, ensuring it has a strong and exciting future with a lot of job opportunities for people both during and after construction.”
Cityheart development director Darren Jones added: “We are delighted to be working with Galliford Try to bring forward the next stage of redevelopment at this transformational Wigan Galleries site. We are progressing the delivery of the site in various phases in accordance with the planning consents we have secured.”
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