Work has started on a £16m revamp of a 'struggling' Salford shopping centre. A major transformation is underway at the Quayside retail site, with a brand new GoKarting track and a bowling alley expected to open next year.
New era for Quayside
The multi-million pound project is supposed to 'mark the beginning of a new era' for the centre, which currently has a large number of empty retail units. The aim is to change what's on offer at the mall, with more experience and activity-based businesses alongside traditional shops.
This includes turning part of the mezzanine level of the shopping mall into Hyperdrive Karting, a 47,000 square feet electric GoKarting space due to open summer 2027. In autumn next year, Hollywood Bowl will open its doors in the neighbouring unit.
Investment and improvements
Ben Hey, Asset Director at Peel Retail and Leisure, who own and operate Quayside, said: "This marks an important moment for Quayside and brings our plans for a new era of leisure and community-focused retail to life. We've seen strong momentum behind the destination over recent years, and this investment builds on that success, creating a significantly enhanced experience for our customers and the wider Salford community."
The firm is also making further improvements to its car park and increasing accessibility. The large investment builds on a £3.5m cash injection that brought about Kargo MKT on the ground floor in 2023. The street food market has been attracting crowds back to the shopping centre, which reportedly suffered a hit during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Approvals and opening hours
The building works have been approved by Salford Council's planning committee. Meanwhile a licensing committee has already greenlit the bowling alley – despite fears by locals it could cause 'sleepless nights'.
At a particularly amicable licensing meeting in July, Darryl Lewis, the managing director of Hollywood Bowl, agreed to reduce the venue's opening hours to make sure the new venture would not cause a nuisance to neighbours.
The opening hours for the Quayside shopping centre are 10am to 6pm on weekdays, 10am to 7pm on Saturdays, and 11am to 5pm on Sundays. The bowling alley will have permission to remain open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, and until 1am on New Year's Eve.
