(Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News) Described by the developer as ‘a buzzing new hangout spot’, the old cast iron columns of the derelict Weavers’ Shed are being restored to create a vibrant new home for riverside street markets, parties and pop-ups.Įxternal staircase at Weir Mill will be incorporated into balconies for occupiers of the new apartments. Meanwhile the 14-storey tower and a further seven-floor newbuild - now dubbed Calico - contribute 166 apartments between them.Ĭhestergate and King Street West are envisioned as a ‘new gateway into the town centre’, featuring ground floor spaces for shops, cafes or delis - and ‘bags of lush greenery’.īut it’s Weavers Square - sat beneath the landmark viaduct - that is set to be the beating heart of the community. The transformation of the site includes restoration of the West Mill and East Mill buildings - creating 87 homes. It can’t just feel like a plain white box.” It drives them mad but it has got to feel different. “The builders hate us for it, but this is how we designed it. Work on Weir Mill is due to complete by early 2025. “Because we hope that - in the same way those buildings are now listed - the new places we create will be the conservation buildings of the future. “Rather than pretend it’s a former mill, we always do something that’s bold,” Tim adds. The controversial element of the scheme has always been 'Fabric' - the 14-storey tower 78 of the development's 253 new homes - with objectors unhappy about the loss of historic views of the viaduct.īut for Capital & Centric it was imperative to avoid being ‘too bland’ - and taking a ‘ballsy’ approach to making ‘beautiful new buildings’ that fit along the historic mill. Today - nearly a year after work began here - the site is a hive of activity, all noise, cranes and dust, with workers in hard hats and hi-vis jackets cutting industrious figures. R EAD MORE: Join the FREE Manchester Evening News WhatsApp community Town hall bosses warned the Grade II-listed building - which stands on the banks of the River Mersey, between Chestergate and King Street West - could be lost forever when approving the planning application back in 2021. Standing in the shadow of the town’s iconic viaduct, the historic former cotton mill was in danger of falling apart in recent years, such was its state of neglect and dereliction. His property firm is behind a slew of ambitious Greater Manchester regeneration projects - including Kampus and Ducie Street Warehouse in Manchester city centre - but today he is enthusing about Weir Mill, an 18th Century mill in the heart of Stockport. “You don’t want to compete with the nice old buildings, you want to do something that’s a statement on the era we are in,” says Tim Heatley, co-founder of ‘social impact developer’ Capital & Centric.
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