Corporation Street looking towards the rear of the Corn Exchange

“large parts of the city centre were still inaccessible due to the extent of the damage caused by the bomb.”

The top photo was taken in 1996 and shows the view along Corporation Street looking towards the rear of the Corn Exchange and the Withy Grove/ Shudehill part of the Arndale Centre. The surface level Arena car park is on the right. The photo was taken a few weeks after 15 June 1996 when large parts of the city centre were still inaccessible due to the extent of the damage caused by the bomb.

The bottom photo is from November 2024 and shows the change that has taken place - this includes the 500,000 sq ft extension of the Arndale Centre, designed by Chapman Taylor and constructed between 2003 and 2006. This extenson replaced the Arndale Bus Station along with the Cromford Court apartments: one of the first post-war residential schemes in the city centre. On the right is the Urbis Centre which opened in 2002 and is now the National Football Museum, designed by SimpsonHaugh.

The metrolink extension which includes a stop at Exchange Square opened in December 2015.