The redevelopment of Spindles continues to take shape as Waterstones prepares for its relocation within the shopping centre.
The bookshop has been based on the first floor of Spindles since 2006, however, it is now moving down to the ground floor as the upstairs is set to be turned into office spaces.
The new location will see Waterstones next to Claire's.
Daniella Pintar, manager of the store, said the staff were excited about the move, which has been planned for over a year.
She said: "Spindles have been absolutely excellent, they have kept us in touch every step of the way.
"Despite a slight delay, everything is so far, so good."
As part of the plans for the shopping centre, the first floor will be home to office spaces for local businesses and Oldham Council services.
The redevelopment means that although some stores like Waterstones will simply relocate, others will close down for good.
Blue Inc announced it would be closing its store, following the likes of H&M, TJ Hughes and Debenhams since the pandemic started.
Daniella said the plans for the shopping centre have seen it "given a new lease of life".
Along with the first floor office space, Tommyfield Market will be relocated to TJ Hughes' former site.
This will see the shopping centre extended into Parliament Square, with the work set to begin in the summer.
The plans also include the creation of a new entrance to the relocated split-level market with a food court connecting to Parliament Square and a dedicated retail market linking to the shopping mall.
A new events space is also set to created for private and public functions.
The council has said the shopping centre will remain open as the redevelopment is carried out as they look to have the work completed by the end of 2023.
Emma Barton, Executive Director for Place and Economic Growth, said: “As part of our exciting plans to transform Spindles, we are working with a small number of stores to support them to relocate to other units within the centre.
“This includes Waterstones, Costa Coffee and Asiana Clinic all of whom have secured fantastic new units within the heart of the centre.
“This will provide a better shopping experience for visitors, with shops located closer together, while at the same time allowing us to repurpose vacant space for new uses - something residents told us was important to them during the Big Oldham Conversation consultation.
“We wish all the businesses the best of luck in their new homes and look forward to starting work on the wider redevelopment in the next few weeks.”
Oldham Council purchased Spindles in October 2020.
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