Bidders line up for redeveloped Barton Square

The directors of Barton Square Ltd have been approached by a number of bidders looking to buy the redeveloped retail and leisure destination in Trafford Park, Greater Manchester.

Investor interest has been driven by the lease-up opportunity which has attracted a range of high profile operators following Barton Square’s multimillion-pound transformation and the opening of a two-storey Primark store last year.

The centre was fully redesigned as part of the £75m revamp, gaining a glass-domed roof and more than 110,000 sq ft of extra leisure and retail space.

As well as Primark, its strong line up of tenants already includes LEGOLAND Discovery Centre, Sea-Life, Homesense and Next Home and conversations are now focused on bringing in complementary national and international leisure and retail brands.

Barton Square has run the centre since owner intu went into administration, with work under way to reinvent the centre in response to changing visitor and tenant needs.

Rebecca Ryman, speaking on behalf of Barton Square Limited, said: “Barton Square offers such exciting potential for retail and leisure brands, and that’s reflected in the conversations we’ve been having with operators as we build a new future for this strong centre.

“Everyone’s obviously all too aware of how tough things are right now in the market, but brands are also preparing to come out the other side with the launch of new European, UK or North West sites.

“The centre’s fantastic redevelopment, its strong tenant mix, and its position at the heart of the flourishing Trafford City presents so many opportunities for operators looking to take new space.”

Barton Square Limited has appointed Savills to advise on the leasing, strategic advisory, project management and property management at Barton Square, including managing its sale.