Plan to turn around Piccadilly Gardens grot spot known as ‘Spice Alley’

Plans have been revealed to ‘breathe new life’ into a notorious grot spot behind Piccadilly Gardens.

Back Piccadilly, the service road that runs parallel to the city centre square, has been plagued by anti-social behaviour mainly linked to drug-taking in recent years, so much so that it has become known to some as ‘Spice Alley’.

Now developer Thackeray Investments has published a proposal for an overhaul of the three-storey building at 7-9 Piccadilly Gardens which includes plans to ‘reactivate’ the street.

The building is currently home to commercial tenants Superdrug and Greggs on the ground floor, while the rest is vacant and used for storage.

Thackeray is putting forward plans to revamp the building as part of the wider transformation of Piccadilly Gardens.

Earlier this month, Manchester Council opened an international design competition for ideas to give the much-maligned square a facelift.

Get the latest updates from across Greater Manchester direct to your inbox with the free MEN newsletter

You can sign up very simply by following the instructions here

A revamp expected to cost in the region of £25million has been promised for Piccadilly Gardens after years of complaints.

Thackeray’s proposal is to “raise the bar of architectural quality in the area.”

“The proposed development would retain the retail development and active frontage along Piccadilly Gardens, whilst also introducing high quality office accommodation (including roof terrace) onto the upper floors of the building, which are currently vacant / redundant,” the company says on its website.

While ground floor units would be retained, the upper floors would be partially demolished to increase the building’s size to a six-storey office development.

And a key part of the plan is to position the office entrance of the building on Back Piccadilly.

Thackeray says this part of the building “presents a unique opportunity to breathe new life into this part of the City.”

“The proposed development will deliver a new access into the proposed office accommodation, providing visual improvements and increased security through passive surveillance,” it says.

“The introduction of high quality landscaping and shared surfaces sets out a commitment to urban renewal through the greening of laneways and the creation of a new, reimagined link between Piccadilly Gardens and the Northern Quarter.

“This has the potential to act as a catalyst and foster further development activity along Back Piccadilly,” the website adds.

Thackeray is now asking for feedback on its proposal ahead of a planning application being submitted later this winter.

If it gets the go-ahead, the overhaul could then get underway next year.