FEC moves on from Victoria Riverside contractor

Citing concerns over CR Construction’s speed of delivery, developer Far East Consortium has taken back control of the three-tower project, which looks to bring 634 homes to Manchester’s £4bn Victoria North masterplan.

FEC appointed Chinese-owned CR Construction to Victoria Riverside in December 2021, its second contract with the firm following the Gate & Stile scheme at Meadowside.

Victoria Riverside comprises the 37-storey Crown View, the 26-storey Park View and 18-storey City View. All three towers topped out in 2023, the last to do so being Crown View, where the highest point of construction was reached in November of that year.

Designed by Hawkins\Brown, the scheme amounts to 634 homes across apartments, townhouses and maisonettes.

CR Construction had also been lined up as main contractor for 895 homes at Red Bank Riverside, the next major phase of the 390-acre Victoria North masterplan – FEC announcing the appointment on the four-building scheme in July last year. The intention had been for construction to begin early this year.

An FEC spokesperson said: “Despite FEC’s best attempts to work with Victoria Riverside’s main contractor, there has been a failure to meet the build progress levels required to deliver the development.

“Our priority remains ensuring that customers can move into their homes as quickly as possible. Therefore, we have now taken the decision to take back control of the project site as it is FEC’s professional belief that this is the best course of action to ensure the works are completed without further delay.

“We are working directly with the supply chain to complete the outstanding works as swiftly as possible, and we look forward to sharing further updates in due course.”

CR Construction told Place North West: “We believe the termination is wrongful, which we have notified them of, as well as a number of other disputes under the contract.”