Landsec eyes end-of-year start date for Mayfield offices
Chief executive Mark Allan said the company is gearing up to begin work on the first phase of the £1.4bn Manchester mixed-use project.
Allan clarified that the anticipated start date of the fourth quarter of 2022 was a target and an aspiration. A contractor has yet to be appointed and discussions regarding much of the detail of the project are ongoing.
He said the 320,000 sq ft office development, which received planning permission in February 2020, was familiar territory for Landsec.
“We’re an office developer in London, so we know the product really, really well,” Allan said.
The approved plans for offices call for two office blocks. One of the buildings, The Republic, would be 13 storeys tall, the other, named The Poulton, would be nine. The Republic was designed by Morris+Company. The Pulton was designed by Bennetts Associates.
As for future phases of the Mayfield scheme, Allan said he believed he was aligned with Manchester City Council on what the vision would be. Former Manchester City Council leader Sir Richard Leese had expressed his concerns at Place North West’s Question Time Manchester event that Landsec would try to skew the Mayfield development to be more residential than commercial.
Allan did not comment directly on what the future of Mayfield would look like, instead stating that it would be “the subject of discussion for a good number of years”.
The approved outline Mayfield masterplan calls for 1,500 homes to be built on the 24-acre derelict site of the old Mayfield Train Station, as well as 1.5m sq ft of offices, 120,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space, and a 6.5-acre public park. The park is set to open this autumn.
Allan said that the first phase of Mayfield could complete in 2025, with the entire project having an estimated completion date of 2032.
Landsec became involved in Mayfield after purchasing developer U+I last year for £190m. Landsec has a 50% stake in the development, which it is creating in partnership with Manchester City council, LCR, and Transport for Greater Manchester.
“The U+I acquisition was a great way for us to bring in a skill set we didn’t have enough of,” Allan said of the deal, adding that the creative skills and vision of U+I complemented well Landsec’s balance sheet capacity and push to deliver.
Looking to learn more about the first phase of Mayfield? The development’s application reference number with Manchester City Council is 124972/FO/2019.
Good to know that such a significant site is really starting to develop. I’m sure the significance of those relocating civil service jobs has not been lost on them.
By Anonymous
Great to hear from the top. Some reassurance was needed after the sale. All eyes on Mayfield then. It’s been a long time coming but it’s going to look great.
By Andrew