Holt Town start nears with major land acquisition
MCR Property Group has taken full ownership of a nearly 16-acre site set to make up a piece of the ‘woodland town’, sitting close to the Co-op Live venue and Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium.
The land is split across three segments. Plot A off Bradford Road was previously a nearly 10-acre gasworks but has since been levelled and prepared for use.
Plot B, an acre of grassland, and Plot C, around five acres of L-shaped brownfield, round off the acquired area.
The Holt Town regeneration project, a 74-acre brownfield zone earmarked for up to 4,500 homes, centres around a nature-inspired, sustainable, mixed-use neighbourhood concept.
Holt Town’s vision, drawn up by Studio Egret West, boasts thousands of houses, 20% of which are to be affordable, set within 15 acres of green space, which includes a 1km long ‘play street’, a lido, and 30,000 sq ft of commercial space.
Manchester-based property lender Together facilitated the deal with an undisclosed multi-million-pound investment for the purchase of the 16 acres, while Deloitte handled the legals.
MCR Property Group has said plans being brought forward will align with the area’s high-density ambitions, with blocks ranging 18, 20, and 22 storeys in the pipeline.
Nick Lake, asset team leader of MCR Property Group, said: “This is a pivotal acquisition for MCR Property Group, in one of Manchester’s most exciting growth zones.
“As our second former gasworks site in the city, we will be able to apply our proven expertise in unlocking brownfield land for transformational development, and we are looking forward to contributing to the wider Holt Town regeneration.”
Marc Goldberg, chief executive of sales and distribution at Together, added: “We’ve worked alongside MCR Property Group for more than 30 years and are proud to be supporting yet another exciting chapter in their journey.
“This landmark acquisition has the potential to play a pivotal role in Manchester’s ongoing regeneration story.”
MCR Property Group will now work with architectural partners to bring forward a residential-led application for the site.
So basically it’s never gonna get developed.
By Anonymous
Any word on when The Gasworks is going to start on site? Approved nearly 4 years ago. Why not start that before buying up more land.
By Anonymous
It will probably get flipped at a later date. Disappointing.
By Mancunian
When is a ‘village’ a ‘town’. And a ‘wood’ ‘woodland’…?
By Anonymous