Manchester eyes public realm improvements to unlock Relentless’s Kendals district
Enhancing the spaces between the Gary Neville-owned outfit’s various schemes around St Mary’s Parsonage will pave the way for the delivery of 1.2m sq ft of office space and more, according to the city council.
The local authority is seeking a multidisciplinary team to shape a “coordinated public realm and movement strategy” for the St Mary’s Parsonage neighbourhood, where Relentless has significant land holdings.
The retrofit of the iconic Kendal Milne building on Deansgate, where Relentless joined existing developer Investec last November in a project also backed by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to the tune of £44m, is the centrepiece, with a proposed 230,000 sq ft of workspace, along with F&B and retail.
The developer is also working up proposals for Reedham House, the site of the now-demolished Alberton House, and Cardinal House next door that include grade A workspace, hospitality and leisure facilities with a luxury hotel and branded residences.
Oval Real Estate’s Albert Bridge House – earmarked for redevelopment into 800 apartments and 250,000 sq ft of office space across three buildings rising to 49 storeys – also falls within the scope of the St Mary’s Parsonage strategic regeneration framework.
The framework was agreed in August 2020 to help guide the principles for development in the area, which is bound by Bridge Street, Deansgate, The River Irwell and Blackfriars Road.
The public realm overhaul is aimed at activating streets, improving existing public spaces including Motor Square and Parsonage Gardens, and improving connectivity with future development and uses in mind.
The appointed team will deliver an addendum to the current SRF alongside a delivery and phasing plan to guide implementation over the coming years, the city council said.
The process to find the team will be managed via the The Chest North West Portal.
Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “St Mary’s Parsonage is a landmark area of our city centre and a space that is gearing up to major development in the coming months and years.
“We believe this part of our city centre has a huge amount of potential, but it needs unlocking. So it’s important that as a council we can sew together the various developments to create a cohesive neighbourhood that puts people at the forefront, alongside excellent public spaces, green and blue assets and active travel opportunities.”
She added: “Placemaking should be at the heart of the design process for St Mary’s Parsonage, to create a destination neighbourhood that can maximise the positive impact of the major investment.”
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Parsonage gardens is a little gem and doesn’t need much to improve it. The designers should be briefed that as far as the gardens are concerned less is more.
By Anonymous
The usual cliches to justify huge slugs of free money going to wealthy developers.
By Anonymous
I like it but not sure the white is in keeping with the area.
By Keen eyed investors
The Local Authority and Public Realm, sounds like another Piccadilly Gardens waiting to happen. Parsonage Gardens should be left alone.
By Steve
So MCC (i.e. the local taxpayer) is paying for a big public realm upgrade to support the schemes of a favoured developer? How very surprising.
And for all the clichés from Cllr Craig, it will still be an area the overwhelming majority of the population never has any reason to visit or pass through. Perhaps sort out other genuinely public spaces first?
By Anonymous
Parsonage Garden itself is fine, but you only have to look at the back of the Deansgate bars to see what a mess the public realm is which surrounds the gardens. If it is going to be a cohesive neighbourhood, some planning on materials and pedestrianisation on the surrounding streets is welcome, with connection through to Spinningfields and across to the Lowry
By Bradford
About time. Well in need of a polish and tidy around there. Scraping all the chewing gum off the pavements on that road that runs alongside San Carlo would be a start.
By Phil Neville
So much moaning in the comments. Please note how grim the back of Kendals, Alberton House and Albert Bridge actually are/were. Agree needs to be sympathetic to Parsonage Gardens. Seems like some people like things to stay as they are no matter how bad because all development must be wrong. You’re living in the wrong city!
By MJC
Can anyone explain to me how much more the small city of Manchester seems to attract development of any old scrub of land in it’s city centre which seems to be bankrolled by fantasy sums of money that don’t exist from the unelected GMCA and approved by a stupid Labour council leader that thinks Manchester is going anywhere forward?, where is this money coming from?, that’s a question for Burnham to answer as well as Craig, Manchester city is not London or Birmingham and never will be. How many of these towers are fully occupied?.
By Peter Morrison
MJC, I don’t think anyone can argue that generally the public realm around this area needs major improvement and investment. However Parsonage Gardens is not one of those areas, it needs minimal intervention from landscape architects, we don’t want another Piccadilly Gardens or Stevenson Square on our hands.
By Anonymous
I agree about the moaners in the comments. Is there a place that these terminal witterers crawl out from under whenever someone try’s to improve the area. If it’s not for you tough..save up your pennies, get planning permission and get out there and make it happen. No ? ..not for you? Didn’t think so.
By Anonymous
Peter Morrison – So much wrong with your comments, but I will keep it brief and just deal with a few key points. The GMCA executive is made of the elected Mayor of GM and the Leaders of the 10 GM local authorities, all of whom are elected. The ‘fantasy sums of money that don’t exist’ are part of the devolution package secured by the GMCA from Government, its is real money that really exists. Finally, Manchester has been going somewhere for about 35 years, in the last decade that journey has really accelerated. It isn’t London or Birmingham, you are right about that. The GM economy and particularly the city centre economy is growing at a faster rate than both cities and at about twice the rate of the UK as a whole. GM and Greater Birmingham are about the same size in terms of population, but GM has long since overtaken it in terms of economy.
By Local Interest