Demolition to begin at JV’s Castings 

Hertfordshire-based contractor Midgard can begin knocking down buildings between Longacre Street and Heyrod Street in Manchester to make way for Packaged Living and Fiera Real Estate’s 350-home build-to-rent scheme. 

In February, Manchester City Council granted planning approval for the Castings, within the city’s emerging Piccadilly East district. 

The city council has now signed off Midgard’s demolition method statement, which means two structures, brick warehouses with steel trusses supporting asbestos cement roof sheets, can be knocked down.

Midgard, part of JRL Group has also been appointed as the main contractor for the project. 

The redevelopment of the site, designed by CallisonRTKL, features a mix of studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments, as well as 10,000 sq ft of retail and amenity space, a public square and car park.   

A total of 227 apartments will have two bedrooms, 77 will have one bedroom and nine will have three bedrooms. An additional 39 studio apartments are also included under the proposals.  

The project will also feature three roof gardens, a residents’ lounge and entertaining suites that will open onto an area of public realm.    

Packaged Living and investment manager Fiera Real Estate bought the plot for £6m last year.   

Turley is the planning consultant and Re-form is the landscape architect. The project team also includes Arcadis, Crookes Walker Consulting and Curtins.  

The Piccadilly East masterplan has already delivered Capital & Centric’s Crusader Mill apartment scheme on Chapeltown Street.  

Piccadilly East is home to several more pipeline developments, including Olympian Homes’ The Fairfax – a 488-apartment complex that won planning approval in January 2020 – and Capital & Centric’s Jenga-style Leonardo hotel. 

In May, a joint venture between Forshaw Land and Property and Salboy appointed Frank O’Gara & Sons to knock down the Manchester Safe Deposit Centre on Great Ancoats Street, paving the way for the 177-apartment Victoria House, another development within the burgeoning neighbourhood.