A former Salford Morrisons closed for more than a decade will now become home to a 24-hour gym and an Aldi. 

PureGym has confirmed it will be moving their operations from their Exchange Quay site to a new gym near Markendale Place in Ordsall.

Due to open on May 22, the ‘new and improved’ Salford Quays PureGym will feature a women’s-only workout space, a new beginner-friendly weights area, and free parking. 

The existing fitness centre on Taylorson St will close on May 18, with memberships automatically transferred to the new site. 

The announcement by the gym business giant marks another turning point for the abandoned unit, which is part of an area known as Radycliffe Park. The leisure, hospitality, and housing complex includes shops, a Travelodge and around 297 parking spaces. 

But the building formerly home to Morrisons was shuttered up in 2015, which Quays councillor Jonathan Moore described as ‘a real shame’ for the surrounding area. 

“It’s stood empty for about ten years,” coun Moore said. “And it was a real shame because it was a good asset for the community in the Quays and in Ordsall to have a proper supermarket. They employed most of their staff from the surrounding area, so that meant when they closed it there were redundancies.” 

A new Aldi is also set to open at the unit later this year, after councillors approved the application last October. 

Ordsall councillor Brendan Keville, who has helped campaign for businesses to return to the site, said residents were keen for ‘affordable retail and more jobs’ in their vicinity. 

Coun Keville said: “This will bring back jobs and services, it will increase the availability of affordable food and retail for residents, and it brings back into use a building without any major demolition or construction, provides investment into retail and leisure and increases jobs and the local economy. For all these reasons, we’re very supportive of it.”

Both Aldi and PureGym are advertising jobs, including for shop assistants, cleaners, and personal trainers.