Market Street will soon be home to a high-end food hall in what developers hope will be ‘a massive lift for this part of Manchester’.
The former department store, housed in the Grade-II listed Rylands Building, is being redeveloped into a food and drink, retail and office block by refurbishing the existing 1920s structure – and adding a four-storey extension to the roof.
The Rylands building re-development
Mike Cunniff, an associate director of architects JB+Co working on the project, previously told the I Love Manchester the revamp ‘will be a massive lift to this part of Manchester’.
Now the first name moving into the new space has been announced by German developers AM Alpha.
Market Place Food Halls will occupy the ground floor of the Rylands, signing a 15-year lease — something Paul Hodgkiss, AM Alpha manager, called ‘a clear vote of confidence in the quality and ambition of our vision’.
He added: “Securing such a lease at this early stage of the refurbishment underscores the appeal of the scheme and demonstrates that we are setting a new benchmark for mixed-use urban developments, not only in Manchester but across the UK.”
Market Place Food Halls at The Rylands
The Rylands is not expected to reopen until late 2026, and Market Place’s website said it’s planning to open in spring 2027.
The firm already has five food halls in London, including Peckham, Vauxhall, Baker Street, Harrow, and St Paul’s.
Its managing director, Blake Henderson, said he was ‘excited’ to make the move north. He said: “Rylands represents the perfect location for Market Place to open the doors to its first northern food hall.
“At the heart and hub of the city, it blends tradition and culture with the changing tastes of food, with socialising at the core. We’re excited to start work and welcome our first customers through the door.”, is being redeveloped into a food and drink, retail and office block by refurbishing the existing 1920s structure – and adding a four-storey extension to the roof.
The re-development of the John Rylands building
Mike Cunniff, an associate director of architects JB+Co working on the project, previously told I Love Manchester the revamp ‘will be a massive lift to this part of Manchester’.
Now the first name moving into the new space has been announced by German developers AM Alpha.
Market Place Food Halls will occupy the ground floor of the Rylands, signing a 15-year lease — something Paul Hodgkiss, AM Alpha manager, called ‘a clear vote of confidence in the quality and ambition of our vision’.
He added: “Securing such a lease at this early stage of the refurbishment underscores the appeal of the scheme and demonstrates that we are setting a new benchmark for mixed-use urban developments, not only in Manchester but across the UK.”
When will The Rylands building re-open?
The Rylands is not expected to reopen until late 2026, and Market Place’s website said it’s planning to open in spring 2027.
The firm already has five food halls in London, including Peckham, Vauxhall, Baker Street, Harrow, and St Paul’s.
Its managing director, Blake Henderson, said he was ‘excited’ to make the move north. He said: “Rylands represents the perfect location for Market Place to open the doors to its first northern food hall.
“At the heart and hub of the city, it blends tradition and culture with the changing tastes of food, with socialising at the core. We’re excited to start work and welcome our first customers through the door.”
You can find out more about the re-development of The Rylands building by clicking here
