Castlefield Quay is situated on the eastern edge of Castlefield next to Deansgate and is bounded by Deansgate, the Rochdale Canal, an arm of the former Bridgewater Canal, the Northern Wall of Castlefield Railway Viaduct and Beaufort Street. It is in the joint ownership of the Council, GMPTE and the property arm of the former British Rail Property Board.
The majority of the site is owned by GMPTE. In 2001 CJP were appointed as preferred development partner for the area subject to an agreed financial and delivery framework.
A Partnership Steering group was also set up with representatives from the landowners. Further development of a framework for the area has been lengthy and complex because of the constraints on the site and the need to confirm all title ownerships. Following an initial scheme, more detailed work has been carried out taking into account changing market requirements and the special physical characteristics of the site.