Ingall floats vertical village concept
MIKE Ingall, the developer behind Manchester’s Spinningfields district, has mooted plans for a vertical village as part of the St John’s quarter in the city, near the former Granada studios site.
He said St John’s aims to reinvest city living by creating a creative village consisting of workspace, new homes, leisure, retail and green spaces.
Speaking at the MIPIM property event in Cannes, Ingall, chief executive of Allied London, said: “In the modern world everyone wants to be a creator, to be the leader rather than the follower.
“At Allied London we are dedicated to building spaces for these entrepreneurs, providing work spaces created to inspire, nurture and help people achieve impossible things. We cultivate communities that are rich in ideas.”
“We recently received formal endorsement from Manchester City Council’s Executive for its strategic regeneration framework of St. John’s, the former ITV site, to develop the 13.5 acre complex in the heart of the city centre.
“Our vision is not just to create a mixed-use neighbourhood for Manchester but bring together enterprise, innovation, culture, entertainment and leisure in a unique proposition for the city.”
He said “St. John’s will turn the perceptions of city centre living on its head and will become a place that’s diverse, distinctive and unique.”
The plans also include the creation of Manchester Grande, an ‘event hotel’ and The Factory, a unique, ultra-flexible arts space., which the government is supporting to the tune of £78m.
Key to the plan is the retention of the heritage and historical buildings identified on the site, including the iconic nine-storey administrative building, the Victorian Bonded Warehouse and the former TV studios.
The masterplan will also retain the ITV Gardens, which will be opened up for public use as part of a network of new green spaces.
Ingall added: “It’s an exciting opportunity for Manchester: for the families that want to live in the city, the exciting start-up tech and digital businesses starting to flourish. It will also transform the balance of the region’s economy providing a unique base for visitors to enjoy and share in the city’s culture and heritage. Allied London has a history of successfully breathing new life into areas of Manchester and we look forward to doing so again.”
It is understood the vertical village concept, is still just that, but Ingall believes it could be built on two existing car park sites bounded by Trinity Way, Regent Road and Water Street.
