Manchester unlocks 564,000 sq ft office scheme
The city council has surrendered its leasehold interests on King Street West to allow freeholder Investec to push ahead with the redevelopment of the Kendal Milne building on Deansgate.
Manchester City Council’s executive board today signed off a decision to dispose of a lease on the King Street West multistorey car park, and ground floor retail units on the same street, which has 137 years unexpired.
These buildings are to be demolished to pave the way for Investec’s 564,000 sq ft office scheme.
A report to the executive said the lease surrender would “act as a catalyst to the comprehensive refurbishment of an important heritage asset and contribute to delivering the regeneration aspirations outlined in the strategic regeneration framework for the wider site”.
Plans for the redevelopment of the Kendal Milne building, currently occupied by House of Fraser, were approved in June last year.
Designed by Sheppard Robson, the project would see the grade two-listed building converted into 250,000 sq ft of offices.
Some 100,000 sq ft of retail would be delivered on the ground floor and basement levels.
In addition, the adjoining Fraser Building, which includes the King Street West NCP multistorey car park, would be demolished and replaced with a 14-storey block comprising 310,000 sq ft of offices and 54,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space.
A public space would also be created at Southgate, between King Street West and Parsonage Gardens.
The proposals were submitted in February 2021 and drawn up in response to the decline of high street retail, Johannesburg-listed Investec said at the time.
The project forms part of the St Mary’s Parsonage regeneration zone, which has seen several projects come forward of late.
These include Bruntwood Works’ redevelopment of Alberton House – approved this week – Property Alliance Group’s planned £55m overhaul of Reedham House, and Oval Real Estate’s mixed-use redevelopment of Albert Bridge House.
Earlier this week, a similar project to the one Investec is delivering took a step forward.
AM Alpha has appointed Russell WBHO to convert the Rylands Building on Market Street, another grade two-listed former department store.
You can learn more about Investec’s project by searching for application number 129251/FO/2021 on Manchester City Council’s planning portal.
That rooftop extension is absolutely atrocious. That and the conversion of a much loved retail department store to a private dead space, forever removing what was a Manchester institution that drew people from far and wide, taken together makes the city centre a much less appealing place.
By Anonymous
Any impact to apartment price nearby deansgate ?
By Residents
What happens to house of Fraser?
By Dc
Does it still include the 100,000 sq ft of retail on the ground floor? If so, good stuff. Hopefully the pedestrianisation comes through too. And Speakers House. And they demolish the old Renaissance instead of saving it. And… 😉
By Tom