Flat conversion for former PwC office

ONE of PwC’s former offices in Manchester city centre is to be converted into a £3.5m apart-hotel.

Macclesfield landlord Magnus has secured permission to turn the 41,500 sq ft Abacus Court on Minshull Street into 63 apartments.

Serviced apartment network SACO will operate the flats having taken a 15-year lease at £540,000 a year.

Abacus Court was the home of accountancy firm Coopers & Lybrand which merged with Price Waterhouse in 1998 to create PwC. The group retained space at Abacus Court and moved out in December when the lease expired. All Manchester staff are now based at Barbirolli Square.

Nelson-based Barnfield Construction has the contract to refurbish the building which should be finished by the summer. It will be renamed SACO House.

Vicki Cook, new business director of Magnus, said: “The timing was right for SACO and for us as we were considering the future of Abacus Court following the vacation of PwC.

“The whole transaction moved very quickly through legal and planning as all parties worked closely together with a common goal for Magnus to deliver to SACO 63 apartments by summer 2013.”  

A 1,750 sq ft suite and 50 car parking spaces were not included in SACO’s lease. The deal was brokered by Savills.

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