Maurice Jones was a builder and property developer who bought up the south side of Coronation Street and built the new houses and shop units in 1989. Jones came from a working class background and grew up sharing a bedroom with four of his siblings. Like his father before him, he became a builder, and by 1989 he owned his own construction company, operating from premises in Ardwick. As he became more successful, Jones did less building work himself and turned his attentions towards property development. That summer, he started planning a new development between Arkwright Street and Coronation Street and bought up the required land, and also purchased advertising space in the Weatherfield Recorder to promote his investments.