Giggs and Neville close to Bootle St deal
MANCHESTER City Council is planning to buy Bootle Street police station and work with a company owned by Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and developer Brendan Flood on a major mixed-use scheme.
According to a council document, prepared ahead of an executive meeting on Wednesday, it plans to team up with Flood, Neville and Giggs’ Jackson’s Row Developments (JRD), which has adjoining land interests, to deliver a scheme “of regional importance” on the two-acre plot which could sweep away the old police station, the neighbouring Manchester United-supporting Sir Ralph Abercromby pub and a synagogue.
JRD’s shareholders are the former United footballers Neville and Giggs, and Flood, a developer and director of Burnley FC.
The council said JRD has “either secured or is in final negotiations to secure” interests in the United Reform Synagogue in Jackson’s Row, some open land and the Sir Ralph Abercromby which is owned by Enterprise Inns. It also has a contractual agreement with a 4/5-star hotel brand “not currently represented in the city”.
It added: “The shareholders are committed to provide all funds required to complete all pre-development activities in order that works can be commenced on site as quickly as possible. As part of the pre-development phase, funding partners will be secured to implement the construction phase.”
The authority said it wants to, “move quickly to prevent the area becoming blighted from the presence of a vacant building of a significant scale in a strategically important location”.
According to the document JRD will need to meet a number of conditions before taking on Bootle Street on a long lease. If the scheme it puts forward does not satisfy the council it has the option to buy out the firm’s interests and look for another developer.
The council said its chief executive Sir Howard Bernstein has been talks with Greater Manchester’s police commissioner Tony Lloyd – a Sir Ralph Abercromby regular – for some time about the site.
Sir Howard’s brother Russell was the chief executive of the commissioner’s office until he announced his retirement in February, aged 55. He has been replaced on an interim basis by Steve Mycio, Sir Howard’s former deputy at the council.
The report states: “The relocation of Greater Manchester Police from Bootle Street Police Station provides a major opportunity to provide a major new mixed use development, in a strategic location in the heart of the Civic Quarter. The development has significant potential to add to the growth of the Civic Quarter and the regional centre.
“There is also a need to ensure that GMP’s relocation does not cause a blight to this part of the city centre. It is proposed that the council enter into arrangements with the Police Commissioner for the purchase of Bootle Street Police Station and to enter into a land pooling arrangement with Jackson’s Row Development Company for the redevelopment of Bootle Street Police Station and adjoining landholdings.”
The council did not say how much it planned to spend on the building but the deal will require an increase in the capital budget. Its lawyers have said the planned arrangement with JRD does not require the EU procurement process.
