Timetable for casino site plans

The site of the planned casino in east Manchester is yet to be developed

Proposals for the redevelopment of the east Manchester site earmarked for the super-casino will be announced by the summer, it has been revealed.

Regeneration experts have already said the Sportcity site should host a �300m "nationally significant" attraction.

A timetable for specific details was made by New East Manchester chief executive, Eddie Smith.

Hundreds of millions of pounds will be invested in the area in 2009 despite the economic downturn, he promised.

"This year will see the start of some major projects bringing very significant levels of public and private sector investment to continue regenerating east Manchester and to improve further the quality of life for existing and new residents," said Mr Smith.

"Exciting developments at Sportcity are also on the cards, with proposals being announced in spring/summer 2009 for development of the site originally intended for the regional casino as well as for the wider area.

"The scale of the development planned is anticipated to be very significant, with investment of hundreds of millions of pounds, bringing the potential for thousands of new jobs."

Casino scrapped

Work has started on a �31.5m academy in Beswick offering skills training relating to the built environment. Construction will begin later in the year on the Metrolink extension through east Manchester.

Other developments include Greggs' new �16m North West headquarters and bakery in Openshaw, and work on the new �40m Openshaw district centre, featuring a supermarket, shops, offices and fitness centre.

Senior council figures worked with a government task force last year exploring ways of generating the same number of jobs a casino would have brought to east Manchester.

The project, which was intended to drive urban regeneration close to Manchester City Football Club's Eastlands stadium, was controversially scrapped in February 2008.