New-build spec office development returns in Manchester
Despite economic headwinds and sector uncertainty, Landsec has today commenced construction of a 243,000 sq ft office at Mayfield, underlining its confidence in the city’s workspace market.
Landsec will be expecting rents in excess of £50/sq ft at the 13-storey Morris + Company-designed Republic, the first building to come forward at the Manchester regeneration scheme and a welcome return to speculative office development in the city.
To date, high interest rates and build costs, as well as uncertainty around the future of the office market, have prevented office development at Mayfield from starting.
However, faith in demand for office space in Manchester – which continuously outperforms its regional rivals in the lettings stakes – has prompted Landsec to get on and build without a pre-let.
“The Republic kickstarts the next phase of growth at Mayfield, with the delivery of quality workspaces that the city needs, and gets us closer to delivering much-needed new homes.” said Henrietta Nowne, development director at Landsec.
“This is a unique place for forward-thinking businesses looking to create the best environment for their talent. At Mayfield you will get unrivalled connectivity as one of the closest new offices to Piccadilly Station. That, coupled with the immense health and wellbeing benefits of the Park make this an opportunity unlike anywhere else in Manchester.”
Bowmer + Kirkland has been appointed as main contractor for the scheme – the first new-build office building to break ground in the North West this year, highlighting the challenges the market is facing.
Manchester City Council Leader Bev Craig was in attendance for the ground breaking. Credit: via Influential
There are several other large office developments in Manchester with planning but without a pre-let that are yet to start on site. These include the next phases of Noma, HBD’s Colloco, and ASK’s next First Street office.
As well as delivering a new office block, the Republic project will see Mayfield Park extended by an additional four acres.
Manchester City Council Leader Bev Craig, said Mayfield is “facilitating transformational change at the eastern gateway of Manchester’s city centre”.
“The Republic will be one of the most sustainable office buildings in the city, maintaining our momentum as the UK’s fastest growing city and a leading business destination, as well as supporting the growth of our strengths across the likes of digital, cyber and AI.
“The Republic not only supports the growing demand for high-quality office space but also adds to the vibrancy of Mayfield, creating jobs, boosting our economy, and making Manchester an even more attractive destination for businesses and talent.”
The wider Mayfield scheme features plans for a second office building – the Boulton – and 879 apartments.
Great news! Will eventually block out the road noise in the park
By Steve
Great news. Manchester Council might have to pull their finger out for once and tackle the barrier effect the Mancunian Way has to this part of the city. Totally abnormal to have a motorway running through a city at-grade. I wonder if they’ll have the guts to downgrade it to an A-road and introduce pedestrian crossings to enable residents in Ardwick to properly access and benefit from growth in Mayfield and Piccadilly. Judging by how afraid they’ve been of decisive action in the past (Great Ancoats St, Deansgate, Thomas St, Stevenson Square) I doubt they will put the needs of their own taxpaying residents over the needs of those who live in other boroughs but drive through the area on the Mancunian Way
By Anonymous
Manchester marches on. Meanwhile in Liverpool the Council and their friends in the Combined Authority continue to talk a good game with little end product.
By Anonymous
Looks a little different than typical properties – probably not enough for folks who want every piece of Land in the city centre to be more parkland.
By Sam
Get those shovels in the ground!
By Andee
Anonymous , Just put the Mancunian Way underground like the big dig in Boston and turn the land above into a park.
By mark c
Wonderful news that not only comes on the heels of another huge office scheme just completing, circle square, at almost 270,000 sqft in the city but also demonstrates the confidence the market has in Manchester’s office market as being one of the most robust in the whole country try! Another nail in the coffin of this work from idea nonsense. It’s not only Manchester that needs grade A office space being brought to the market though, the other 8 major regional cities are equally short of supply, there needs to be a healthy amount of new availability coming through that simply isn’t being met in a lot of our major cities…..
By Cristoforo
FANTASTIC!!!!
By Don cheglioni
Extend the park. An absolute golden opportunity wasted. There is absolutely a way that those really unique buildings could be built a few hundred yards in any direction for the right price. This park could be a city centre mecca but is in danger of being enclosed, and basically like every other corner of mancunia.
By Builder
Hi Builder. As the story mentions, the park will be extended as part of the project. Best wishes, Dan
By Dan Whelan
Love the designs – a nice mix and a bit different to some of the other drab offices (e.g. the SimpsonHaugh block on Miller St)
By New stuff new stuff
The park will be extended by 40% i think this will be such a great development for east manchester but as others have mentioned linking this in effectively to ardwick is essential and should be made so in part of the plans
By Anonymous
I like Mark c’s idea. With some imagination the Mancunian way could meet the Castlefield Highline. That would create a crescent of green to the South of the city. Imagine the Mancunian Way, as an avenue, with mature trees.
By Elephant
But…but..the office is dead according to my inner narrative. If I find it’s been lying to me again I shall be very cross, very cross indeed.
By Henny Penny
“Confidence in the market” indeed.
More like the British government’s determination to waste money and fill office blocks in Manchester with non-jobs transplanted from London (and multiply them several fold) is simply a shoo-in.
This country is an ongoing exercise in how to achieve nothing at vast expense, all to secure the benefits of a privileged clique.
£50 a square foot would be an outrageous amount of money for our government to waste, when there are much better value options available. But you watch- they will pay it.
By John
John, this is a speculative development it’s not been earmarked for government jobs coming from London. I suspect mostly it will be let to the private sector, something to celebrate for the city and the property industry.
By Anonymous
When you say “private sector” don’t you mean the likes of big service and accountancy/audit firms working on government contracts? Or Not-Really NGOs developing undemocratic policy, lobbying government (itself)? Or a public funded broadcaster that sends hundreds of staff to Glastonbury (and still fails to act responsibly)?
Even if it were “private sector” you can see above that in fact it’s still just the same merry go round.
But no, this building is clearly meant for the government’s predetermined determination to do whatever they want.
By John
Surely the offices at Central Retail Park could have been built here?
By Anonymous