WIGAN | Full Summary of Developments

[ferge]

You will see Manc from the top without a doubt, as Manc on a clear day is really bold on the skyline from the M6 just to the side of Wigan so the views from the top would be nice, mmm..maybe by time its built I'd be able to afford one... uhm..

[9462]

The Modus Residential tower (19 storeys) has been APPROVED?! Total shocker there..

im sure i started a thread on that a bit ago and everyone just disbelieved that it was actually going to get built.

[ferge]

Yeh you did, but at the time the details you found/gave were similiar to that of the shoppin centre I recall, so I presumed it was a cross wire..cos, well.. I never had faith that Wigan would even get proposals above 5 storeys for a long long time, let alone approved near 20 storey buildings, lol.

Still tryin to find some images of it but no luck yet

[ferge]

Good God, I am suprised at Wigan.. its, its...almost a Boom?!

Sold: the £1.7m concrete lump!

THE re-birth of Wigan town centre looks set to continue after the old police headquarters was sold to developers for a major flats and leisure project.

London-based Goldcrest Homes paid £1.7m for the Harrogate Street site – more than double the guide price. But its chief executive today said the outlay was well worth it for such a prime piece of land in a "vibrant and forward-looking town."
Michael Collins said that if everything goes to plan, the first thing the company would do would be to demolish the 1960s concrete "eyesore" with the intention of replacing it with affordable apartments with leisure and restaurant facilities on the ground floor.
Goldcrest is also eyeing up the Harrogate Street public car park that the Metro is considering releasing once the massive Grand Arcade shopping centre is completed in 2007.
The police HQ was vacated a year ago as officers moved to their new base on Robin Park Road. The building and surrounding land went up for auction at a guide price of between £700,000 and £800,000.
There were four serious bidders who took the price over the £1m mark and one took Goldcrest all the way to £1.7m.
Mr Collins said: "We paid full price but that is what you have to do to buy prime land.
"We now hope to work with the local planning office on a mixed use building which reflects the guidelines to expand the town centre.
"This would include small, affordable apartments for local people. With Douglas House and possibly a 19-storey addition to the Grand Arcade nearby it could be a tall building.
"This is our first investment in Wigan which is a very important place with a tremendously vital town centre, even without the forthcoming Grand Arcade.
"The place would not be transformed over night – I would envisage two-and-a-half years before the project could be completed, but it will all be worthwhile. The first physical thing we would do is knock down that hideous building!"
Paul Thompson, surveyor for Preston-based auctioneers Pugh and Co who sold the HQ on behalf of the police authority, said: "It is a great spot for a developer, being so close to the town centre and with a water course at the back."
14 December 2005

We could be seeing a few towers being built virtually within a very short area.. Could Wigan actually, get a cluster?!

[oscar9]

Well, with the 12 storey blocks there and the 19 storey modus tower going across the road too Wigan will have a little high-rise alley. Well high rise by Wigan standards

[ferge]

Little Construction update..

Couple of photies of the GA under construction, and seems that new building by the canal is externally done..






Canalside (Resi's do we presume??? They got a few balconies on anyway)


Really was suprised walking around today how much space is flattened for redevelopment, much more than I gathered.. The Mill area stretches from the Wigan pier junction to the Poolstock Junction, basically the width of Wigan, lol. The GA takes up a lot of space too, lets hope they fit that tower in nicely. Also comforting to think that that crane (which seems to dominate the area quite nicely) will be surpassed by taller cranes, after all the modus tower and other proposed 'development' could be taller than the crane itself.. Heehee, good times

[Mez]

In case anyone's interested. There's a Wigan edition of Monopoly in HMV on Market St.

[ferge]

I've found out that the tower will be on the junction of Millgate and Riversway.. Meaning it will be almost across the road from the now Goldcrest-owned Police station plot and also nextdoor to the old town hall.. The potential for a cluster (in Wigan of all places) is more real than ever, lol..

Being that its on the junction mean it will be even more prominant as it will stand over the dual carraigeway.. I just really wish they'd show some images now that the thing is approved cos I really want to see what our tower gonna look like!

The only info I've found is that the tower will be:

The proposed development will form the final phase of the Grand Arcade scheme and will include restaurants and cafes, office accommodation and over 150 apartments at the upper levels. The restaurant and
cafes will be based around a 'public' space lit by an atrium and will aim to provide a different, more sophisticated offer than the King Street area.

Lengthy discussions are still underway with the developers and architects to achieve the main design aim of creating a striking contemporary design, using modern materials and architectural detailing. The emerging scheme has an 18 storey high part glazed tower which will offer impressive views for residents. Together with the Grand Arcade, the development will represent a massive investment and confidence boost to Wigan town centre, and will encourage investment in other sites around the centre.

[ferge]

Modus have got in contact with me

Hi Stephen,

Thank you for your email, apologies for the delayed response we have just arrived back after Christmas and I am catching up on my emails.


I am looking into getting an image of the tower for you and some further information. As soon as I have something I will come back to you.


Kind regards,


Janet

Woohoo, first time I've ever e-mailed someone beggin for info, lol

[oscar9]

Well done that man,should be interesting to see

[ferge]

2 great snippets of news for the weekend!!!

1 - Modus Tower images.

I'm sure people will get tired of me posting these but, c'mon.. its somet over 2 floors tall and its approved, thats some big shit in this neck of the woods!




The more I look at it, the more I like it.. It will be completely refreshing to the town's look and appearance, yet not stick out too much as the only thing built in the past... 70 years?! lol.

Second bit of news is equally as interesting (although means the end of my lottery-winning dreams)

High hopes for town eyesore
Wigan's massive new shopping centre could get even bigger, we can reveal.
At least two major developers are showing an interest in buying the eyesore site of the former Wigan town hall on Rodney Street.

Matters are at an early stage but council sources say the signs are looking good that one of Wigan's longest-running property sagas might finally be coming to an end, with a solution that could create scores more jobs and improve both the skyline and economy.
Modus Properties, who are building the multi-million-pound shopping complex, is said to be so pleased with the take-up rate for major retail units there, that it is looking to make the Grand Arcade even grander.
As a corner of the present site is at the bottom of Millgate, the old town hall could be seen as a natural progression of the development.
But Modus is not the only firm which has suddenly taken interest in a piece of land which has lain dormant for more than a decade.
Goldcrest Homes, which earlier this month bought the old police headquarters in Harrogate Street for £1.7m and hopes to turn the site into flats and leisure facilities, has shown an interest.
Chief executive Michael Collins said: "Wigan is a vibrant and exciting place with vacant sites at a premium.
"We are already looking at the possibility of further investments in Wigan and the old town hall site across the road from the police station would be a logical progression for us too."
Modus declined to comment on latest developments but a Metro source has been showing great interest in expanding.
The old town hall closed for business 14 years ago and was sold by Wigan Metro to a developer.
Because the building was unsafe, most of it had to be knocked down, but there was much talk in the mid-1990s of it being redeveloped for leisure and office use.
Nothing came of it and unsuccessful attempts were made to sell the land back to the council at four times the original price.
Another developer then came on the scene but after opening negotiations nothing happened.
The Grand Arcade with 30 units, some of them department store size, is set to open in spring 2007.
Between them the old police station and town hall ruins have blighted the east side of the town centre for years.

this area of Wigan is going to be KICK ASS.. A dual carraigeway with towers on both sides and new, useable space for us Wiganers.. Take that, NIMBYs!

[oscar9]

When I first looked at the top render it reminded me of those apartments in salford on the corner af trinity way,but it's obvious this is much better and taller, the base is better too. I really like that edge on view.

[ferge]

From Today's Local Paper.. Featured a render of the tower again for good measure..

We're in for the high life
Yuppies could be making a comeback ... and heading for Wigan.

Canal-side apartments, loft-living and a town centre tower block are on the way – making the perfect environment for wannabe Gordon Gekkos.
But Wigan Metro's regeneration panel has been told that these developments were not just catering for yuppies.
The Bickershaw Colliery regeneration scheme was highlighted as a model scheme which will provide affordable housing for the borough's residents.
Members of the panel were shown a presentation by Kevin Walsh from Wigan's Economic Partnership highlighting some of the current developments.
He said there was currently £750m worth of redevelopment work underway across Wigan.
Schemes highlighted included Pemberton Colliery, Westwood Park, the Wigan Pier Quarter and Makerfield Way.
Mr Walsh also outlined ambitious targets to increase the number of high-quality jobs in the town by 15,000 over the next 10 years.
He said that these would be high quality posts that would mean that the town's graduates would not have to look to Manchester or Liverpool to find top appointments.
Director of planning and regeneration Martin Kimber said it was not an accident that so many exciting developments were under way.
He said: "It is not just the case that the national economy is improving but it is as a consequence of Wigan taking the trouble with partnership agencies to give a very clear message to developers and investors that we are a good place to do business.
"The things you see happening in the borough are not an accident.
"It is about building a brand, building an image, encouraging investment and then channelling it to the benefit of the local community."
Mr Kimber said the Wigan Tower project, which will be part of the Grand Arcade shopping centre, was unthinkable a few years ago.
He added: "Five years ago who would have thought that Wigan Tower would come forward.
"We're getting the type of architecture, the type of living that is only seen in big cities.
"We have a big town and we deserve it. Who would have thought the Wigan Pier Quarter would provide the loft-style living, cappucino culture seen in big cities? It is almost here."
Coun Barry Fagan said the Bickershaw Colliery scheme – which will see housing, leisure facilities including a mariner and public open space being created on the former mining site – was the most important for him.
He said: "This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get something really beautiful and environmentally friendly.
"It could be a real jewel in the crown – people buying and renting good quality houses in an area of natural beauty."
18 March 2006

[JUXTAPOL]

Bit of a sad representation of Wigan past that it's grand town hall was abandoned and left derelict. Hopefully this will be restored for new use and an eff-off big tower is built adjoining it on the rest of the derelict site. Hopefully English heritage will not interfere as Liverpool are currently keeping them distracted with them meddling in our tower proposals.

[little-miss-little]

The old town hall is going to make a gorgeous building one day!
I've always thought that Wigan has a lot of potential and it's nice to see that i'm not the only one that thinks that.
The Grand Arcade could be much better and i don't think it's needed as much as people think - whats going to happen to all of the units that are left in the Galleries by the shops that are moving to the shiny new shopping centre? Thats going to become derelict now, seeing as half of it already is.
It all needs some serious thinking about - maybe just to link the two shopping centres together.

But yay - Wigan is soon going to be kick ass

[jrb]

More Pie Eater news.

"Go on ferret lad!"

[ferge]

Thanks for them, JRB..

Seems so much emphasis at the mo from the council to redevelop the town.. I'll just be glad when theres more signs of it. Seeing as its Easter and I'm home for a week I may try and get out with my Camera again for some photos..

Also they mention they may possibly redevelop between the Pier and the town, thats a lot of space.. yet between it is just small retail outlets (such as office suppliers), an empty retail unit formally used by B&Q and further small shops.. All of which is ideal for development and in good need of it.

[ferge]

few construction pics of the new Quarter.. courtesy of a local forum..




Hoping to go get some more pics of the GA before I'm back off to uni... it has taken over the town! lol, from the tesco it looks like somethings from Independance day has landed on Wigan..

[ferge]

Taken from the council pages, this is some of the figures that have amounted mainly due to Wigan being in the premiership.. thought I'd share them to show how Wigan has become much bigger on the map.. Obviously for every profit there is a cost, so hard to tell from this how much the town is to benefit, but its great to think if we can keep up at this level, and to regain pride with the Warriors, that we will become a very interesting sporting town

• 200,000 additional number of visitors to Wigan over 19 league home games.

• £11million of additional spending in the Wigan economy.

• Hotel occupancy up by 4% ('lodge' type providers suggest doubling this figure).

• Wigan has hosted nearly 500 extra journalists over the season.

• The value positive media coverage generated for the town is worth upwards of £700k.

• Highlights include special features on Al-Jazeera, Transworld Sport and Dutch ‘RTV’.

• Over a dozen national and international press features including the New York Times and a Swiss Sunday newspaper

[The Longford]

Goooooooooooooo Wigan!
£11million!!!!!?
Just think what you can bring in when you win yor Olympics bid!