Manchester to sell half of Central Retail Park
Six years after acquiring the 10.5-acre site for £37m from TH Real Estate, the city council is looking to offload half of it to facilitate plans for more than 1.25m sq ft of offices.
According to Manchester City Council’s register of key decisions, the authority will seek executive approval early next year for the disposal of a 5.5-acre chunk of the former Central Retail Park site off Great Ancoats Street.
The city council is understood to be in negotiations with the Government Property Agency about opening a civil service hub at the site. The GPA’s interest first came to light almost 12 months ago.
Earlier this year, Manchester approved an updated SRF for Central Retail Park, which is capable of accommodating up to 8,000 jobs in buildings reaching 16 storeys, in light of the GPA interest and in response to market changes.
A Manchester City Council spokesperson said: “Following extensive consultation that concluded earlier this year, the council has approved a Strategic Regeneration Framework for the former retail site to deliver high-quality, low carbon office space – supporting the creation of thousands of new jobs – alongside new green public realm.
“We remain in a process to consider potential development partners for the programme of investment for the site. This is ongoing and we will report back to the Council at the appropriate time.”
The GPA was contacted for comment.
It is understood that the proposed land disposal relates to the western portion of the site, next to the Rochdale Canal, which would house the first phase of offices.
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If the council sells half the site for less than £18.5m, they need to be brought to account.
By Anonymous
A public park would be better. Manchester City center has none. I suppose apartment dwellers can see green fields on television.
By Anonymous
Good location to be fair, more accessible than Deansgate or New Bailey.
By DH
Please, please, please turn this into a skyscraper cluster instead!
By MC
Its says eastern portion under the image and western portion in final para can you clarify?
By Anonymous
This has now been amended. Western portion is correct. Thanks.
By Dan Whelan
So the recently opened Mayfield Park does not count as a “public park” then! Oh and there are several fantastic parks in and around the city centre – for example, Hulme Park, Ardwick Green, St Johns – and further beyond – for example, Heaton Park, Queens Park, Philips Park all with a very accessible tram stop.
By Anonymous
Painfully slow and unambitious. Really disappointed in the council – I had hoped they’d changed. Six years and it remains an eye sore.
By MB
This will be a waste if it’s not a cluster of skyscrapers
By ZiffZaff
The picture proposal looks grim. Anon is right. Make this into a park.
By Elephant
I think the approval needs to be in immediate start of building the 16 storeys. Next year is too late, they should hurry up with construction and build jobs immediately!
By Daoudi Kiraruberwa
A Civil Service hub? Mayfield would have been a better right next to Piccadilly station but as there is only a park there at the moment and the long planned offices remain just that I suppose this wouldn’t be a bad option if they get the quality right. Thought they’d also signed up 2500 civil servants for First St too or is that a different lot?
By Gym Hacker
16 storeys makes me sad 🙁
By Giant Skyscraper Fan
This still isn’t the right place for a park, though the city centre does need one, the number of times I’ve seen families arrive at St John’s Gardens to discover there’s no park there.
By Anonymous
A park – no. See Nov 10th comments from Anon. The city council needs to allocate this land for major job creation as indicated and secure a significant capital receipt to pay down the cost of land acquisition. The Leader of the Council has flagged the precariousness of the Council’s financial position.
By Anonymous
There’s already a park nearby which is far too small and a group/petition with over 12,000 signatures requesting this be turned into a park. The suitability of this location for a park EXTENSION has already been tested and it’s a strong YES.
And to say that there should be parks built elsewhere – yes there should, but there’s either not enough space or the land isn’t available. We need the extra space now. Telling everyone who works/lives nearby to wait another decade for a ‘potential’ opportunity is an insult.
Btw I’m all for skyscrapers but we’ve had far more of them than we have quality public realm. We need to grow the city in other ways.
By Anonymous
The Council did not invest £37m to acquire and for a park when it owns all of the Medlock Valley along Palmerston Street. That land is undevelopable and should be transformed into useable public open space. That is the campaign which should be promoted not one to transform Central Retail Park for such a use.
By Anonymous
just make this a park. thanks.
By manc
People in London don’t have to go to Leytonstone to sit in a park. Parks need to be central. Manchester’s parks are an embarrassment.
By Elephant
This is a prime setting for a park, bordered by the canals and with the skyline of Royal Mills on one side. A top-quality park here would increase the appeal of the city centre overall and drive further development. A solution like Jardím das Oliveiras in Porto would maximise the green space whilst giving the ability to have some office space and parking beneath. The topography of the site would lend itself well to this, the park could extend at the level of the Marina Park.
By Anonymous