Sharp Project could be franchised internationally
THE leader of Manchester City Council, Sir Richard Leese, has not ruled out the idea of franchising The Sharp Project brand, or letting private investors buy into it.
He was speaking at an event to mark the launch of Californian 3D specialist EON Reality at an extension of The Sharp Project at One Central Park, or ‘Sharp 2’.
A council report published last month confirmed approaches had been made to buy the media hub, or franchise the brand.
When asked about the idea Sir Richard, pictured, said, “It’s not beyond the realm of imagination that we might have Sharp elsewhere”, admitting that representatives of Mexico, India, Sweden, Ireland and Brazil have all expressed an interest in the concept.
He added: “The Sharp Project is not just a bit of managed work space, there’s a culture about, it has brand values. What we wouldn’t do is expand or franchise, or bring in private sector investors, unless they shared those values. We have to maintain the integrity of the brand. People from all over the world come here and say ‘can we have one of those’.”
EON Reality is to make the office its European headquarters and expects to take on 240 staff over the next three years as it markets its software and content to educational establishments. It also plans to train 100 people a year for five years.
The £16.5m Sharp Project was launched by the city council and the European Regional Development Fund in 2008 in an old Sharp Electronics warehouse on Oldham Road, Newton Heath. The 200,000 sq ft property contains a 2,650 sq ft recording studio and four production stages as well as offices. It is home to around 50 businesses.
It is now 75% let and the council is drawing up plans for an old Fujitsu site in West Gorton to be ‘Sharp 3’, which would act as a hub for drama production.
Sir Richard said: “In a matter of months we’ll be able to finalise proposals to expand Sharp into West Gorton as well and probably into other areas as well. What we’re going to call them I don’t know. But Sharp is a concept that’s reached its overall expectations within a year. It’s a brand that works, people like the approach. We’ll have a lot more Sharp in Manchester.”
Alistair Weir of PRP Architects has been hired to start the design process for the 100,000 sq ft Fujitsu site.
Sue Woodward, who oversaw the transformation of the old Sharp building and is now the city’s ‘digital champion’, said: “I think it will make the perfect drama hub for the North of England. We’ve created a new market demand in Manchester which now has a reputation for excellence in drama production.
She added: “We’ve delivered our ambitions, but we have new ambitions because of the market that’s been created.”
