History

A bomb detonated by the IRA in 1996 affected many city centre retailers and Manchester Arndale. The explosion mainly damaged the western end of the centre. The FoodCourt, Voyagers Walk, WH Smith, Mothercare, Argos and a large unit occupied by JD Sports and Nike were all destroyed.

In November 1999 a bridge link from the centre to the newly built Marks & Spencer store was opened and by October 2000 the centre was fully operational. In September 2002 Selfridges also became a neighbour, taking half of the M&S site.

Development programme 
Manchester Arndale has been transformed by a £150 million, three-phase development programme by owners, Prudential.

Planning permission was granted for a northern extension to the centre, which compliments the rebuilt city centre. The extension provides an additional 300,000 sq ft of new retail space including a covered Wintergarden with a number of themed restaurants and coffee shops opening onto it.

 A completely new mall replaced the existing Cannon Street, providing a mix of uses to create a traditional 'high street' feel with attractive street style architecture. Twenty four hour access to this new street, called New Cannon Street, allows people access through the middle of the centre to both sides of the city.

The extension is anchored by a 150,000 sq ft department store for Next. There are also 75 new shop units including five large stores and a single level Market Hall.

 The Next department store forms a gateway building on the corner of Corporation Street and Withy Grove, while Cannon Street received an imposing new entrance from Exchange Square. New elevations along Corporation Street and Withy Grove totally change the existing centre's appearance with the overall look highlighted and embellished through the use of limestone, brick, glass, steel and metal.

Work on the new extension began in autumn 2003 and it opened in three phases from October 2005 to the final opening of Wintergarden at the end of 2006.