Airport City momentum continues with 460,000 sq ft shed

Fresh from securing a 102,000 sq ft pre-let earlier this summer, Icon Industrial has submitted plans for a single warehouse of up to 460,000 sq ft at Manchester’s Airport City.

The developer, a joint venture between Stoford and TPG Real Estate, has outlined plans for a warehouse of between 398,000 sq ft and 459,000 sq ft, along with three storeys of integrated office accommodation and a separate two-storey office hub.

Two separate applications have been submitted: one for a single aspect shed and another for a cross-dock development, giving the developer flexibility depending on occupier demand.

The warehouse will sit between the M56 and the A538 Wilmslow Road, next to the World Freight Terminal off Sunbank Road.

Icon covers 45 acres and has already attracted significant deals. It is already home to occupiers including Amazon and DHL, while tenants to sign up for new-build space include The Hut Group, which will build a logistics and global content creation studio, which in the first phase will see the development of a 168,000 sq ft warehouse and 104,000 sq ft of offices over four floors.

In June, Alpha LSG, a partnership between Dnata and LSG Sky Chefs, has signed up for the 102,000 sq ft Unit 4, which secured planning consent in March this year, alongside another unit of 138,300 sq ft.

Dan Gallagher, joint managing director of Stoford Developments, said: “Icon Manchester Airport is a hugely successful scheme that continues to stimulate the Greater Manchester economy through the flexibility the site offers to its tenants. The submission of these applications continues this theme, giving occupiers the ability to choose from a single-sided or cross-docked layout.

“The scheme has understandably attracted significant demand from businesses keen to locate here, given the strong list of existing occupiers and the site’s unrivalled airport connectivity. We believe the proposed development at Unit 2 will provide an excellent opportunity for potential occupiers in a key strategic location and continues the fulfillment of the Airport City masterplan.”

Icon’s retained agents are CBRE, JLL, and DTRE.