 The square mile of "warehouse city" is cited as the finest example of a Victorian commercial centre in the United Kingdom.This area is a core component of the listing of Manchester and Salford on a tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Sites 

The Royal Exchange was renovated in 1972 and turned into the home of one of the most prolific and highly regarded theatres outside London.The Royal Exchange was damaged in 1996 by an IRA bomb and rebuilt at a cost of £32 million.