Manchester City Council (MCC) and placemaker Muse, are all set to launch Open Space, a new meeting point created as part of the regeneration of Wythenshawe town centre.
Located at Unit 10, The Birtles, Open Space will open its doors on Saturday 4th October 10am – 4pm for a family-friendly event with a whole host of fun activities, including face painting, art workshops, free cupcakes and live music throughout the day.
Coinciding with Wythenshawe’s Makers Market, Leader of Manchester City Council, Councillor Bev Craig will be in town to mark the opening and chat to people about what the regeneration means to them.
The Council and the team from Muse, who are jointly delivering the £500m plans to transform the town centre, will also be encouraging people to have their say on what they’d like to see in Wythenshawe’s new food hall before the proposals are finalised later this year.
The team will also be officially unveiling new outdoor artwork on the Birtles created by street artist Andy Wolfenden (@andrew_wolfenden) who’ll be down at Open Space running workshops on 4th October. Slots can be booked to meet the street artist and spray your own tote bag at Meet the Street Artist Workshop Tickets, Sat, Oct 4, 2025 at 12:30 PM | Eventbrite with sessions at 12.30pm, 1.30pm and 2.30pm. No booking required for other activities.
Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council said: “Open Space is more than just a place to do consultation. This is about embedding our regeneration team into the heart of the community and offering local people an opportunity to have an ongoing conversation about the investment coming to their town centre – while also providing a welcoming event space that invites residents in to find out more.
“It’s an opportunity for local people to be part of the journey and help guide the long-term investment at the Civic and wider area – including the new genuinely affordable homes we are planning to build in the community, alongside new shops, culture hub and food hall. I’m really looking forward to meeting local people and talking more about the major plans we have for their area. This is the beginning of a major transformation for Wythenshawe.”
Joe Stockton, Development Director at Muse, said: “The launch of Open Space is a big step forward in our plans for Civic. It’s been designed to give the community a central place to meet and share ideas, as we progress with our plans to reboot the town centre. We’ve been working with a local artist to bring some colour to the Birtles with new outdoor artwork leading to Open Space, so come and check it out, meet the artist and get creative!
“This is just the start. We’ll soon be consulting on the plans for the first 400 affordable homes and starting work on the transformation of Civic later this year. This investment in Wythenshawe means a lot to local people, so we want to make sure we involve the community at every step of the way.”
Open Space will be hosting a calendar of events over the coming months, linking in with local schools and community groups, and giving people from across Wythenshawe the opportunity to have their say on the emerging plans for the town centre.
The launch of Open Space is the next step in the wider regeneration of Civic. The plans include a new Culture Hub, with performance and artist studio space alongside flexible areas for workshops, exhibitions, classes or community events, a new food hall and workspaces to help independent start-ups and local businesses to grow.
A larger public square is also planned, with improved outdoor spaces, including new paving and more trees and plants to make the town centre a much greener and more pleasant space to spend time.
Demolition of the former Peacocks building will start by the end of the year, with work on the Culture Hub, food hall, workspaces and outdoor spaces beginning in early 2026. All of the new spaces at Civic will open in 2027.
The Civic works are being funded through £20m of funding provided by the UK Government and a further £11.9m from the Council.