A £10m overhaul of Salford Quays’ Quayside shopping centre is set to turn much of its upper mall into a dedicated leisure hub, with indoor electric go-karting at its heart and scope for a new bowling alley.
What the £10m revamp of Salford Quays’ Quayside shopping centre includes
Peel Retail & Leisure has lodged plans to remodel the entire upper level of Quayside, replacing the existing food court and around 75,000 sq ft of largely vacant space with three large leisure units totalling roughly 100,000 sq ft.
Planning documents show two units of about 27,000 sq ft and a third of around 35,000 sq ft, representing an increase of approximately 26,000 sq ft in lettable floorspace.
Indoor e-karting and bowling plans
Peel has agreed terms with an e-karting operator for the 35,000 sq ft unit, paving the way for an indoor electric go-karting venue on the upper mall.
A planning report also suggests that a bowling alley could feature as part of the mix, further anchoring the leisure-focused offer alongside other active attractions already on site.
Shifting Quayside to a leisure-led destination
The scheme will see the old upper-level food court removed, with food and drink instead concentrated at ground level, where venues such as Kargo MKT, Brewski’s Big Tray BBQ and the Kargo food hall already operate.
Quayside’s repositioning leans into a leisure-first strategy similar to Peel’s Trafford Palazzo, where new operators such as King Pins, Archies Atomic and an Everlast gym have been brought in to create a more experiential destination.
The Salford Quays Community Forum says that since the coronavirus pandemic many residents have been looking for more leisure options closer to home, and the group is “hugely supportive” of the proposals.
Co-chair John Paul Atley has welcomed the plans as a way to boost local amenities, while the planning report concludes that the indoor go-karting venue would not lead to unacceptable noise pollution for nearby residents.
Quayside’s role in the town centre
A Quayside spokesperson describes the proposed £10m investment as “transformational”, arguing it will keep the centre “pivotal” to the Quays town centre and bring the complex up to modern-day standards through better accessibility, circulation and car parking.
The new leisure units are intended to complement existing anchors including Virgin Active gym, Vue cinema, Oxygen indoor trampoline and activity park, TeeClub indoor golf and the UCFB university campus, completing Quayside’s evolution into a mixed leisure and community hub rather than a traditional mall.