Retailers sign up for completed First Street
THE first phase of the £500m First Street scheme in Manchester has been completed with the announcement of two main retail occupiers.
The flagship regeneration development at the southern gateway into the city has been delivered in partnership between Manchester City Council and Ask Property Developments.
Sainsbury’s and Pizza Express have confirmed as scheme tenants alongside a raft of independent leisure and retail operators which are likely to be announced in the coming weeks.
The scheme construction has been led by main contractor Carillion, with Wates Construction responsible for the creation of HOME, Manchester’s new contemporary theatre for film, art and theatre.
HOME has its public opening over the late May bank holiday weekend, led by patron and film-maker Danny Boyle.
Designed by Mecanoo, HOME also received £5m funding from Arts Council England Lottery funding and support from the Garfield Weston Foundation and The Granada Foundation.
Ask managing director John Hughes said: “Achieving practical completion is a milestone which the whole team can be very proud to reach.
“Ask and Manchester City Council had an ambitious vision to deliver a new neighbourhood for the southern side of the City and the realisation of that vision is the development of this world-class cultural and business quarter.
“The fact that such prominent firms have chosen Number One First Street as the ideal place to re-locate their business underlines the high standard of this scheme. With the launch of both the new Melia INNSIDE Hotel and Q-Park, as well as the strength of retail enquiries, it really is shaping up to become the best space to work, live and play in the City.
“The launch of HOME over the late May bank holiday weekend (Sunday May 24) provides a great opportunity to celebrate this achievement and we welcome everyone to join us for First Street’s celebratory launch street party.”
Phase one of First Street also includes Number One First Street, the 180,000sq ft Grade A BREEAM Excellent office development.
Companies which now occupy the building include: Engineering service provider Jacobs; Digital marketing consultancy Amaze; Media publishing company Auto Trader; Ford Credit Europe and Gazprom.
Meanwhile, the UK’s first Melia INNSIDE Hotel has opened for business in the development area.
The 208-bedroom four star facility is in the heart of First Street where there is also a 279-room luxury student development, a 700-space Q-Park multi-storey car park and nine retail, leisure and food units fronting a new public square.
The nextphase of the development across First Street, consisting of a second major Grade A office building is likely to start towards the end of the year.
On final completion it will deliver more than 2.5 million sq ft of new development in the city.
