Key representatives from Stockport Council and Interstate joined Muse Developments and Eric Wright Construction to have a guided tour of the new 115 bedroom Holiday Inn Express hotel which will open later this year at Stockport Exchange.
They viewed a sample hotel room, which has already been fitted out to be used as a benchmark for future fit outs, and took a trip up to the roof to take in the views across Stockport.
National developer and urban regeneration specialist, Muse, is delivering the new Stockport Exchange commercial district, located next to Stockport railway station, in partnership with Stockport Council.
As well as the hotel, this second phase of development will deliver a new 50,000 sq ft, five-storey office building with a Sainsbury’s Local at ground floor and public space outside the train station, creating an attractive gateway into the scheme and the town centre.
Both buildings are now watertight and will have permanent power in the next couple of weeks, with the lifts, electric and plumbing currently being installed.
The road layout is being reconfigured to improve access to the station, with a new taxi rank and bus stops having opened recently to the north of the development and work underway to create a dedicated drop-off facility to the south.
Stockport Exchange is a flagship office development for Stockport and South Manchester that will see a new commercial district and commuter hub created in the heart of the town centre. It is part of the Council’s ambitious “Investing in Stockport” programme that builds on the town’s strengths to make it an even better place to live, work and visit.
Wes Erlam, development director at Muse, said: “It’s been a pleasure to show our partners the significant progress on the scheme’s construction over the past few months. The hotel and office are making great headway and with the public realm also taking shape, passers-by can now start to see the huge transformation which is taking place around Stockport railway station.
“The scheme is providing high-quality, energy-efficient office accommodation and quality hotel rooms in a central location, as well as vastly improving the area around the railway station, creating an attractive and welcoming space for workers, commuters and visitors.”
Councillor Kate Butler, Executive Member for Economy and Regeneration at Stockport Council, commented: “It was great to have the opportunity to go into the hotel and office and see the amazing progress that has been made. The transformation that Stockport Exchange has brought to this area of our town centre is fantastic and I’m excited about the opportunities that the new business district will create locally.
“Stockport Exchange is part of the £1 billion Investing in Stockport work taking place across our town at the moment. New developments are underway, transport links are being improved and Stockport is being transformed, I would encourage everyone to find out more about the work taking place and how you could benefit from this.”
Completion of the office is due in October and the hotel in December this year.
Stockport Exchange will ultimately deliver up to 375,000 sq ft of office space and 28,000 sq ft of commercial floor space. Cushman & Wakefield and CBRE are appointed as joint agents for the scheme and the architect is Aedas RHWL.