Contractor appointed for £250m Kampus scheme

A contractor has been appointed to start enabling works on the £250m Kampus scheme on Aytoun Street in the Piccadilly area of Manchester.

Joint venture partners Henry Book Developments and Capital & Centric have appointed London-based Mount Anvil to the project.

Site hoardings, strip out and demolition of some of the disused buildings started on site this week on the first phase of the scheme, which was granted planning permission last September after receiving unanimous support from the city planners.

The first phase comprises 478 build to rent apartments, 30,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space on the ground and mezzanine floors beneath two 12-16 storey new buildings.

It will also include the comprehensive refurbishment of the existing 1960s former Aytoun Tower with a roof top village of timber Dutch townhouses.

Several of the existing buildings are bespoke to educational use and as a result have been derelict for several years but the developers are keen to keep others where possible.

Adam Higgins of Manchester-based Capital & Centric said: “It’s important to us to retain what buildings we can no matter what era they are from. 

“We are obviously keeping the two listed mills but we also plan to incorporate the big 1960s tower.

“It may appear quite ugly and run down at the moment but bringing this back to life has always been an important part of the vision for Kampus. 

“The tower has some amazing features that we will retain including concrete waffle ceilings, 1960s stairs, signage graphics and doors. There will be nothing else like this in Manchester.”

Demolition is expected to be complete by the end of this summer with phase due to be ready for occupation by 2020.