The first nine tenants for the newly renovated Piece Hall have been announced ahead of its reopening this summer.

The unique Grade I listed building off Halifax town centre will become the so-called 'Milan of the North' when it reopens on August 1, after being shut since 2014 for the £20 million project.

One of the businesses set to move in includes a live escape room - a leisure venue where members of the public can opt to be "locked in" a room and have to answer puzzles and clues to get out.

The overall transformation includes a mix of independent new start-ups, expanding local businesses and returning tenants, kick-starting an enterprising new chapter for the sole surviving Georgian former cloth hall.

Calderdale Council leader, Tim Swift (left) with Chief Executive of The Piece Hall Trust, Nicki Chance Thompson and Trust Chairman, Roger Harvey.

Justin Thomas, a rising star from the region’s hospitality industry, will head up one of the new food and drink businesses. Located on the lower Arcade level the, as yet unnamed restaurant, will offer ‘modern comfort food’ from morning to night.

There will also be three new leisure and retail start-ups including the Escaporium. Founded by Angela Nicholls and Mark Wood, the live escape room will occupy a unit on Colonnade level.

Rose Eastwood has chosen to base Jewella, a mid-price jewellery and accessories shop there while Loafers will sell records and refreshments – marking a new venture for Leeds entrepreneur Mark Richardson.

Three established regional businesses will open new retail outlets at The Piece Hall including Halifax’s oldest family-run independent department store, Harveys. It will boast a new homewares store.

Premium estate agents Yorkshire’s Finest will be there too and Alison Bartram’s husband Paul is set to open a second gallery at The Piece Hall following a period of sustained growth with Alison’s successful Heart Gallery in Hebden Bridge.

An artist's impression of the courtyard
An artist's impression of the courtyard

Alison, of Heart Gallery, said: “My family is from Halifax and The Piece Hall has been part of my life for as long as I can remember, I even had a stall here in the early ‘90s, so it really seemed like a natural fit for Paul to open our second gallery in the building.”

Former tenants of The Piece Hall were among the first businesses to be offered space in the restored building and two confirmed to return are Creative Crystals and Replicar. Creative Crystals owner Isobel Hampson has been selling crystals, gemstones and minerals for over 23 years. Replicar, set up in 1985 by Frances Burns and John Minshull, also returns to The Piece Hall this summer with hundreds of collectable die-cast vehicles.

Nicky Chance-Thompson, chief executive of The Piece Hall Trust, which will run the complex, said: “I’m delighted to be announcing the first of our new tenants.”