Green Investment Bank bid team offers 10 locations
LOCATIONS ranging from Bruntwood’s landmark City Tower to Ask’s First Street to the former Halliwells headquarters, are on a shortlist of 10 locations put forward as the potential home for the Green Investment Bank.
Manchester is competing with a number of other cities, including Bristol and Leeds, to become the home city of the new £4bn institution. A decision will be made by the Government in the coming months.
The shortlist features 10 of Manchester’s prime schemes, each of which the bid team feels meets the building rental and infrastructure costs outlined in the Green Investment Bank objectives.
As well as the former Halliwells site – mostly vacant since the collapse of the law firm last year – there are two other Spinningfields locations – the redeveloped Tower 12 and a yet-to-be constructed new building.
Two other Bruntwood locations are in the running also – 1 New York Street and 1 Portland Street – which have the advanrtage of being nearer to Piccadilly train station.
The other contenders are: The Co-Operative’s NOMA 53 development;
Argent’s Hive scheme in the Northern Quarter and 1 St Peter’s Square in the centre of Manchester’s civic quarter
Led by Pro Manchester chief executive John Ashcroft, the bid team believes that such a range of prime sites at cost-effective rates are a key selling point in bringing the Green Investment Bank to Manchester.
Ashcroft said: ““We’ve been speaking with developers of Manchester’s best sites to secure deals on prospective commercial space. Our relationships with these developers means that we are in a position to negotiate unprecedented deals to bring a Green Investment Bank to Manchester.”
The shortlisted schemes are quoting rents of between £20 and £30 per sq ft.
Ashcroft added: “We’re looking forward to furthering our conversations with developers. Manchester has a proven track record in its ability to do cross private and public sector deals. It’s testament to the fact that our city is united by the desire to achieve the national vision for a low carbon economy.”
