U+I formally appointed to £850m Mayfield development
SPECIALIST urban regeneration and property developer U+I has been formally appointed as the development partner for the iconic Mayfield site in Manchester after legal contracts were signed at Manchester Town Hall.
The appointment of U+I by The Mayfield Partnership, which comprises LCR, Manchester City Council and Transport for Greater Manchester, is a hugely significant moment for the city region as it will spark the revival of an important but unloved part of the city, and create more than 7,000 jobs over the next decade.
Alongside preserving the heritage assets on the historic Mayfield Station site near Piccadilly, U+I has a bold vision to create an inspiring urban neighbourhood and gateway on the 24-acre site.
The £850m Mayfield development is the largest regeneration scheme planned for Manchester city centre over the next 10 years and U+I is committed to creating an authentic, inspiring and inclusive new business, residential and leisure destination for the city centre.
The core of the site around Mayfield Station has been derelict for several decades and the regeneration will breathe new life into what was once a thriving industrial district. Mayfield will provide 1,300 homes, 800,000sq ft of office space, a 350-bedroom hotel, retail and leisure facilities.
It will also reshape and extend the heart of the city centre eastwards towards the inner ring road, and act as a catalyst for the further regeneration of the wider Piccadilly area.
Richard Upton, deputy chief executive of U+I said: “The formal appointment of U+I is a historic moment and we are excited and privileged to have been entrusted to deliver this strategically important regeneration project for Manchester.
“We are looking forward to 2017 and listening and learning to the local community and other stakeholders about their aspirations for Mayfield. We have many ideas, but nothing is set in stone, which is why the community engagement exercise is so important to us.
“We want to begin the revival of Mayfield in 2017 and look forward to sharing our plans to open up part of the site for use by the community as soon as we can.”
Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council said: “This is a key gateway site and we are determined to ensure a world-class scheme which will create thousands of jobs and make a major contribution to the regeneration of the Piccadilly area.
“Together with the Network Rail Northern Hub scheme and planned HS2 station, the Mayfield Quarter will significantly strengthen and enliven this part of the city centre. We welcome the appointment of U+I to deliver this development.”
David Joy, chief executive of LCR, said: “We are delighted to have regeneration specialists, U+I on board as our development partner for the Mayfield site. They will lead on the master planning and delivery of the development which is set to create a distinctive new high quality urban neighbourhood and a gateway into Manchester City Centre.
“We look forward to working with U+I and the Mayfield Partners to ensure the success of this exemplary urban regeneration scheme, which will provide long-term benefits – not only for the local area but for Greater Manchester as a whole.”
Cllr Andrew Fender, chair of the Transport for Greater Manchester Committee, added: “This is a transformational scheme that will breathe new life into a historic corner of Manchester, capitalising on excellent transport links and a region in bloom. I am really looking forward to watching the blueprints come to life.”
