Rochdale’s Pioneers Market is reopening in the Exchange shopping center after being closed since 2014.
They’re calling it Pioneers Market. It opens Monday, February 17th. It will be open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. It might have almost eighty stalls. The name honors the Rochdale Pioneers. They started the co-operative movement. The stalls will also tell their stories.
Adhan Group bought the Exchange last year. They promised to reopen the market. It closed back in 2014. The market’s closure became a political issue. George Galloway offered help after meeting the owners. Adhan Group planned it anyway.
Martin Ballard said they aimed for a “late summer” opening. He manages the shopping center. He wanted seventy-seven stalls. He also planned for some small shops. The shopping center says it will open Monday. Traders are moving into the renovated space. The old market struggled before.
It moved out of the Exchange in 2014. It tried several locations. It settled outside on The Butts. Adhan Group prioritized reopening the market. It had been closed for a decade. They wanted to revive it.
The center said good towns have markets. The Mall Blackburn has a market. Adhan Group also owns that. They updated the decor and the electrics. They made the space compliant. They hoped to finish by January’s end.