Downing swaps out co-living for student flats in Manchester
The final phase of the developer’s £400m First Street residential scheme will be delivered as PBSA rather than co-living due to a “significant increase in demand” for student beds.
Downing is to submit a revised application seeking permission from Manchester City Council to deliver a 28-storey tower comprising 555 student beds instead of 322 co-living units.
Construction of the scheme’s first phase is underway and fully funded. It will see 1,780 co-living units delivered across three blocks, including a 45-storey tower.
Phase one is due to complete in early 2025, at which point phase two, the student block, would be delivered.
The shift towards student homes in the later phases of the project comes amid a glut of proposals for PBSA across the city as developers seek to take advantage of low levels of supply and high levels of demand.
Ian Harrison, projects director at Downing, said: “In light of the significant increase in the demand for PBSA in Manchester city centre, we hope that the development will not only contribute towards meeting this need, but also diversify the residential offer at First Street and help to solidify its status as one of the city’s most successful regeneration stories.”
A public consultation has today been launched on the updated proposals.
View the consultation on the proposals
In addition to contributing to an identified need for PBSA, the revised proposal for Block C has also enabled Downing Students to make improvements to the public realm offering that will be delivered as part of the wider plans.
The new plan includes a larger public park, which has allowed for an increased number of trees to be planted, the developer said.
SimpsonHaugh is leading on design.
Inspiring.
The last sentence of the article wasn’t necessary – it’s very clear who designed this stale, boring block
By Anonymous
We can do better than 28 and 45 storeys, we need more ambition on our towers!
By Giant Skyscraper Fan
Ice block.
By Just saying
Who exactly is this ‘Giant Skyscraper Fan’ & their infatuation for size that’d make even Freud blush? 45 storeys is perfectly adequate for a peripheral site such as this, height is not everything (certainly not when the designs are akin to this).
By Anonymous
Co-living really is an idea whose time has been and gone in the blink of an eye
By Anonymous
More oppressive towers and wind tunnels
By DH
A good height for the revised phase 3 and a decent step up towards the tallest tower which always felt like it was just plonked there. The shape never really fit as other weren’t curved. At least now there is more consistency with the blocks
By Andrew
First St isn’t far from Jackson st/Deansgate sq so that’s the right place to build these. Lots of density in a few areas makes for a city that is literally on the up.!
By Anonymous
Re Giant Skyscraper fan. Whilst I agree with you I would also like to see some statement ‘ towers’ with unique features. Most of what goes up in Manchester are similar with slightly different cladding.
By Peter Chapman
Other developers have been refused permission to develop pbsa in Manchester over the past few years so would question the validity of allowing this to be allowed
By Pablo
Oppressive? Nothing oppressive about success DH . More and lots of them. Celebrate Manchesters success, it’s good for the North..we just need more of it.
By Anonymous
Wow, no one saw this coming, get planning for coliving with strict non student occupation requirements, then flip it to PBSA.
By Rudy
And who owns the freehold of the land for this proposal? Is it MCC???
By Anonymous
“Hi, I’m looking for an architect to lead in design… what’s that? A paint-by-numbers glass rectangle? That’s perfect.”
By Tom
Are they going to change the design?
By Anonymous
Most architecture if not all is just an affair of cladding. And this design is by Mr S.H cladding himself.
By Parisian
First Echo Street; now First Street. Manchester’s change of stance on City Centre PBSA has certainly had an impact on the Co-Living pipeline.
By Matt Pickering