Bruntwood offloads Hatch Manchester to leisure developer from North East
Bruntwood has sold its Hatch retail and leisure space under the Mancunian Way to leisure developer Stack.
The site will close on 30 September paving the way for the transformation of the scheme. A joint planning application for the redevelopment of the site is currently in progress. ÖL Brewery will remain open throughout the process.
Plans will see Hatch brand disappear and become Stack creating a permanent offering with a larger footprint, providing more opportunities for traders in the city it is claimed.
Originally launched in Newcastle and with a successful site at Seaburn, Sunderland, the company is currently developing Stack’s in Durham, Whitley Bay, Bishop Auckland, Middlesbrough, Lincoln, Northampton, and Carlisle, along with a new Tyneside home.
Hatch was always modelled on the Stack and Boxpark model of creating leisure hubs out of shipping containers as well as repurposing empty retail properties.
The formula of bringing together a mix of street food and bars set around a central plaza, with a stage and giant screen for providing a full programme of live entertainment, has proved popular.
All food and beverage traders at Hatch will be given priority during the selection process if they choose to apply for a unit within the newly created Stack when it reopens. Permanent site staff are currently undergoing a period of consultation.
Manchester’s leisure tsar Sacha Lord has waded in and offered anyone who is losing their job as a result to contact him for a role at The Warehouse Project.
Since opening in December 2017, Hatch was designed for independent food and retail businesses to innovate and test a concept in a relatively low risk environment.
Peter Bearpark, Asset Management Director at Bruntwood, said: “We are incredibly proud of what we accomplished at Hatch. Originally conceived as an idea for how to utilise unused space while Circle Square was in development, it has been a success in terms of the vision we set out for it – supporting start-up businesses, allowing brands to experiment, grow and thrive, and creating a place for people to enjoy excellent food, drink and shopping.
“It’s always hard to say goodbye to a site that we are proud of, but now is the right time for Stack to take it to the next stage in its development.”
Neill Winch, chief executive of Stack added: “Stack will continue the fantastic work that Bruntwood has started at Hatch in creating a place for businesses to grow and thrive – something that we are also very passionate about.
“We have a proven track record in providing venues which bring together the very best in street food, bars and we are also renowned for delivering a full programme of live entertainment for people of all ages, which has been a huge part of our success and an element we are looking forward to elevating in Manchester.
“This location is the perfect fit for us, and we look forward to building on the great work Hatch has already done and taking it to the next level under the Stack brand.
“Stack is already a proven concept which has had huge success in its native North East, in both Sunderland and Newcastle and is currently developing a whole host of new sites across the country. It operates as both a visitor attraction and a much-loved facility for local residents and we look forward to showing Manchester what we have to offer.”
