£750m Oxford Road scheme to begin with student flats

Bruntwood and residential development partner, Select Property Group, have set out the masterplan and phasing programme for the 2.5m sq ft redevelopment of the former BBC site in Manchester city centre, following acquisition by Bruntwood from Realty in April.

The first phase will feature two serviced apartment buildings under Select’s Vita brand, containing 220 and 496 studios respectively. One building will be 12 storeys tall and the other building will be split into two blocks, of 13 and 17 storeys. The Vita buildings will be designed to attract mature, postgraduate and international students. This will be closely followed by a second phase containing 350,000 sq ft of commercial space.

Chris Oglesby, chief executive of Bruntwood, said: “We’ve produced a masterplan that embraces and exceeds the ambitions of the City’s Strategic Regeneration Framework to create a vibrant new neighbourhood including fantastic new office, residential, retail and leisure uses, alongside exceptional new public spaces and routes through the site.

“Its unique location, connecting the city centre with the Corridor Manchester, enables the site to support the cross-fertilisation and commercialisation of ideas and a public green will provide Manchester with a new open space for people to gather and dwell.”

The first planning application was submitted on Monday and consent is expected is in December. Construction is due to start in the first quarter of 2016 and complete in late 2017. The project team includes architect 5Plus, joint masterplanners Planit-IE and Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, structural engineer Curtins, engineer Cundalls and cost consultant Appleyard & Trew.

There will be five phases in all. Later phases include hotel, apartments, 1,000-space multi-storey car park and public realm. The final phase is scheduled for completion in 2025.

Mark Stott, chief executive of Select Property Group, said: “It will be a place that draws you in, an extraordinary district for pioneering people and businesses who want to live and work side by side, innovating for the future. It’s an exciting time for the future of Manchester and we’re looking forward to sharing more information about the project throughout its development.”

Deloitte Real Estate advises Bruntwood.

• For more information visit oxfordroaddevelopment.co.uk