Salford in 2009 was a largely industrial area on the other side of the river to its thriving rival Manchester. A very different place to what it is today, unemployment was high, housing was low-rate and much of the land on the banks of the river was derelict or being used as surface car parking, which was proving a drain on the economy. The council was keen to turn this around: we knew the city had great potential, but we were realistic and knew that we needed a private sector partner to deliver transformational regeneration. Our aim was to boost the economy, create new homes and jobs, while providing a new hub for business and leisure.
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