Latest vision for £17m city centre redevelopment revealed

Plans for Whitworth Street West/Deansgate Locks

Asset manager, Aberdeen Standard Investments, has revealed new images for its proposed redevelopment of 2-4 Whitworth Street West, Manchester, opposite Deansgate Locks.

Working alongside Glenn Howells Architects and JLL, the plans will inject an investment of more than £17m into the area to construct a mixed-use seven-storey building comprising retail and food and drink outlets at ground level, with a 152-room hotel on the upper storeys.

The proposals have been developed after close consultation with heritage specialists and Historic England. The design will create a development that takes inspiration from the quality and craft of Manchester’s industrial warehouses of the past by using traditional brick and terracotta materials and contemporary detailing.

Using high-quality materials, the well-crafted, masonry building will encourage pedestrian access to the ground floor which has space for retail and hospitality outlets, helping to further bring the area to life.

Following the planning committee meeting in October, clarification has been provided to the city council to demonstrate the quality of the design proposed and reassurance given that none of the parking bays along Whitworth Street West will be lost and a new disabled bay will be incorporated close to the hotel entrance.

Stuart Howard, senior development manager, Aberdeen Standard Investments, said: “We think we are presenting really exciting development plans for 2-4 Whitworth Street West, which should prove to be a catalyst for the rejuvenation of the street.

“This will reinvigorate and bring a new vibrancy to this part of the city. Working alongside Glenn Howells Architects, who have delivered several high profile projects in Manchester over the past 20 years, Aberdeen Standard plan to start the hotel development by Summer 2021.”

Whitworth Street West facade

Sandeep Shambi, partner, Glenn Howells Architects, said: “Our plans for 2-4 Whitworth Street West have taken inspiration from buildings of Manchester’s past in terms of their scale, façade proportions and the use of materials. We are using quality, traditional materials in a contemporary way to create a well-crafted masonry building which has elegant proportions and responds confidently to the emerging, taller scale of the wider area.

“We have worked closely with the local authority to ensure the proposals are appropriate to the setting and provide a much-needed animated frontage that compliments Deansgate Locks.”

The proposed hotel has potential to welcome more than 90,000 visitors per year. It is estimated hotel visitors will spend around £8.1m in the local economy, which is equivalent to an annual GVA contribution of £2.7m.

The construction phase is expected to generate 197 jobs and more than 50 jobs will be created by the hotel and ground floor retail and leisure units.

JLL act as planning consultant and project manager for the development.

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