Sheppard Robson hired for City Tower refurb

ARCHITECT Sheppard Robson has been appointed by property investor Schroders to design a refurbishment programme for City Tower in Manchester.

It bought the property from Bruntwood for £132m in the summer.

As well as the 30-storey tower, which has 225,000 sq ft of offices, it took on a three-acre chunk of the city centre stretching from Mosley Street to Portland Street with a total of 615,000 sq ft.

The deal includes the 185-bed Mercure hotel, the 80,000 sq ft 2 New York Street, and 22 retail units.

The tower is almost fully let with just two vacant floors, but Schroders is planning to make further improvements to the offices, and particularly the retail areas on the Piccadilly Gardens side. Rents are priced at £17/sq ft but Schroders believes they have the potential for £20/sq ft.

Sheppard Robson will work with Schroders to develop a refurbishment programme for areas of the building including the entrances and the ground floor atrium. It will also look at creating a business lounge behind a new main reception

Partner Tony O’Brien said: “As a tenant of City Tower, we appreciate first-hand the scheme’s strengths and how these can be maximised. City Tower is one of Manchester’s most iconic commercial landmarks within Manchester and we look forward to working with Schroders to further improve and enhance its prestige.”

Tom Newman, Scroders’ investment manager, said: “The refurbishment is being undertaken with a view to developing a very high quality offer for the buildings occupiers. The Tower currently has some vacancy and, working with Sheppard Robson along with our appointed agents, we are confident that this project will attract more businesses to City Tower.”