Ask progresses First Street plans
ASK Developments’ First Street scheme is moving forwards with an application submitted for First Street South and a decision due on First Street North tomorrow.
The Manchester-based firm is planning to introduce a supermarket onto the southern element of the site with two floors of parking above. A hotel, student accommodation, restaurants, shops and bars have also been included in the application, with at least one of the buildings on site reaching 20 storeys.
Meanwhile, Manchester City Council’s planning officers have reccommended that plans for First Street North containing the city’s new £19m cultural hub, an 11-storey hotel with restaurants, bars, shops, a 10-storey car park and new public realm.
The application for the cultural facility has been submitted on behalf of the city council to provide a new home for both the Library Theatre Company and the Cornerhouse cinmea/gallery complex. The building will contain two theatres, including a 500-seat space and a 150-seat space which can also be used as a performance space with seats removed.
It will also include five screens ranging in size from 50 to 270 seats. The hotel will be a 208-bed four-star venue operated by Spanish chain Melia, while the 700-space car park will be “wrapped” by a coloured, perforated aluminium skin with a multimedia wall on one side that could be used as a projection screen for performances.
Around a dozen objections to the First Street North plans were, citing concerns varying from the size of the hotel, the potential adverse impact on nearby homes from more bars and restaurants, the loss of use of green space and the lack of prominence given to the cultural building.
Parents of children attending the St Peter’s Childrens Centre, which is set to close to make way for the development, have also objected to the scheme. They also argued that the city council failed in its statutory duty to consult over its plans.
Council officers have reccommended that First Street North plans are approved though, stating that the scheme “would represent the next phase of the development of First Street, which would play a key role in establishing a distinctive new neighbourhood within Manchester City Centre.”
Their report also stated that the cultural hub “would be the first new cultural facility in the city centre for 20 years”.
The First Street development has undergone a number of significant remodellings since it was first launched in 2005 as a £750m scheme with a large residential element.
The two mixed-use schemes will book-end the existing Number One First Street building and up to 1m sq ft of “highly flexible city blocks” of office space that will be pitched at rates of around £20 per sq ft for Grade A space – a 30% discount on prime rents.
Buro Four has been appointed as strategic project manager for First Street North, and the application for First Street South has been brought forward by Drivers Jonas Deloitte.
