Town centre demolition update

Date published: 29 July 2014

The Rochdale town centre skyline is changing fast as the deconstruction of the Black Box continues, and is expected to be complete by October. The building is already a number of floors smaller as the demolition contractors dismantle the former council offices floor by floor from the top down.

The changing face of Rochdale Town Centre
 

The Broadwater Centre and the former St Andrew's Church have now been reduced to rubble.

The demolition contractors, Connell Brothers Ltd, have used some of the rubble from the demolition site to fill in the remaining pool areas underneath the Broadwater Centre, which opened as Rochdale’s first public baths in 1868 and closed as a swimming baths in 1937.

The Broadwater Centre and St Andrew's Church reduced to rubble
 

It is understood that £20million has been spent on demolition work to make way for the new Town Centre East retail and leisure development - which will sit alongside the Transport Interchange and Metrolink stop - despite doubts remaining as to the financial viability of the project.

Until any re-development of the site takes place footpaths will be created where the Black Box was located and a car park will be created on the old bus station site.

The car parking is expected to open in November 2014 and will be accessible via Penn Street, Baillie Street, Smith Street and Milton Street.

Works are getting under way to create a new roundabout at the junction of Baillie Street and Milton Street and make that stretch of Milton Street two-way between Smith Street and Baillie Street.