Resi tower plotted for First Street Premier Inn

Ask Real Estate and Whitbread have unveiled plans to build a 41-storey residential tower and 400,000 sq ft of offices in the First Street development zone in central Manchester.

The proposals, designed by Jon Matthews Architects, include the residential tower containing 370 one- to two-bedroom apartments constructed on the site of the Premier Inn, the freehold of which is owned by pub and hotel owner Whitbread.

There would also be a 13-storey office block fronting Medlock Street and containing more than 390,000 sq ft of flexible workspace.

The scheme, known as One Medlock Street, sits opposite the First Street commercial scheme, also being developed by Ask. The latest phase of First Street – a 400,000 sq ft office and retail block rising to 11 storeys at Plot 9 – was approved last April and 80,000 sq ft of it has been pre-let to online car dealership Auto Trader Group.

As well as the office and retail space, the first iteration of that project proposed a 200-bedroom Premier Inn to replace the ageing hotel in the One Medlock Street plans and free up the existing site, but the proposal was later ditched.

Ask and Whitbread have this week launched a consultation into plans for One Medlock Street and expect to submit a planning application in the first quarter of this year.

Subject to approval, work is targeted to start in 2022 and the developers hope both buildings would be operational by 2025.

Under the proposals, the office block component would form part of the emerging hub of new build office buildings in the area, according to consultation documents. In particular, it would seek to complement developer Marshall CDP’s planned 375,000 sq ft of offices on the neighbouring One City Road site, whose front door faces Medlock Street.

Meanwhile, the proposed residential building would be stepped up in height away from City South facing the Mancunian Way.

Turley is the planning consultant for the scheme and the landscape architect is Planit-IE. The project manager is Walker Sime. Both Jon Matthews Architects and Planit-IE are working with Ask on other developments at First Street. Ask has been contacted for further comment.