The new £13 million Middleton Arena is under construction on Corporation Street on the site formerly occupied by the Hippodrome (the Empire Cinema) and the old civic amenity site. The Hippodrome was levelled in August 2007.

The 7,300 sq m area will provide sports and entertainment facilities including two swimming pools, a sports hall, exercise and fitness studios along with a fully equipped performance and concert hall with seating for 500.

The Arena is being managed by Barr and will take around 18 months to complete.

The Arena will be managed by Link4Life, the Rochdale Borough-wide Cultural Trust.
 

Behind the wholesale regeneration scheme for the town is the grocery giant Tesco PLC.  Tesco's in partnership with Rochdale Council have funded the new £13 million Middleton Arena.  In return, Tesco's will build a new Tesco's Extra Store on the site of the old Leisure Centre and old Civic Centre.

Demolition of the old buildings and construction of the new store will begin once the 7,300 sq m Middleton Area is completed.

Along with the demolition of the old Leisure, Civic centres and the site of Middleton Market, part of the Police Station will also be levelled.  Greater Manchester Police and Tesco's have agreed

The annexe building will be demolished and Greater Manchester Police will take ownership of the former Magistrates Court building and receive £500,000 towards the £2.1 million cost of refurbishment.

The newly refurbished building will house the Public Protection unit and the force-wide murder incident unit.

The new store is expected to create around 220 new local jobs.

Middleton Gardens will be the new home of Middleton Market following its clearing to make way for the new Tesco.

Market stalls and canopies will line the proposed refurbished   Manchester New Road site.  The former bus lane will be resurfaced and new planting is to enhance the gardens area, which will complement the setting of the new market.

New development is also proposed for the frontage of Middleton Gardens, this includes retail, employment and other town centre use, "providing an attractive edge between Middleton Gardens and the new Tesco's car park".

Warwick Mill looks set to be converted into 147 apartments following planning and list building consent agreed between Rochdale MBC and the sites developer Redrow Homes.

The Grade II listed former cotton mill will be completed with consideration for the mill's features, the central atrium, for example will be retained.  The site will house 23 one bedroom apartments, 121 two bedroom apartments and 3 three bedroom apartments, the ground floor will be given over for car parking.