Manchester unveils vision for strategic Piccadilly site
Land currently occupied by Stocktons furniture showroom and the former Presbar foundry is to be redeveloped into an office-led, mixed-use destination featuring residential towers of up to 45 storeys.
Manchester City Council has outlined its vision for East Village Central, located across Great Ancoats Street from the former Central Retail Park, in an addendum to the Piccadilly SRF that was adopted in 2018.
The authority intends to launch a public consultation on its high-density proposals, which will feature offices, homes, and public realm, according to an executive report.
“The successful delivery of the draft framework will create a new, vibrant, commercially-led, mixed-use neighbourhood and community, boosting growth and new jobs,” the report adds.
The site, capable of accommodating around 3,500 jobs, is bound by Store Street and Ducie Street and is split into two main parts: Stocktons and the Foundry.
The Stocktons site has previously been earmarked for 850 homes, while the foundry is now vacant and the subject of plans to convert it on a temporary basis into a 3,000-capacity leisure venue.
The vision for East Central Village “responds to current market conditions…and would complement the proposed commercial development at Central Retail Park,” the report states.
Central Retail Park, which the city council acquired for £37m in 2017, is to be redeveloped into around 1m sq ft of offices with the Government Property Agency looking at it as a possible civil servant hub.
