Allied London sets out St John’s construction timeline

As enabling works get under way, Allied London and contractor Lendlease have outlined a six-year construction programme for the St John’s project in Manchester.

Lendlease is due to deliver 18 buildings across the site, which stretches along the River Irwell between Water Street, Liverpool Road and Quay Street. Although final designs are still being refined, these are set to include:

• The Tower, a 54-storey building featuring a hotel, apartments, and commercial space
• Albert Lofts, a 17-storey building and a five-storey building
• South Village, eight eight-storey mixed-use buildings
• Globe & Simpson, a 12-storey office building with retail space at ground and first floors
• No1 Grape Street, a 30-storey building featuring co-living and commercial space
• Manchester Goods Yard, featuring three 10-storey office blocks
• Nickel & Dime, twin residential towers reaching 36 storeys in height

Lendlease is acting as main contractor for the new-build elements of St Johns, as first revealed by Place North West in March this year, but will not carry out the refurbishment works for existing buildings including Old Granada Studios.

All of the new-build projects will be concrete frames, aside from Globe & Simpson, which will be steel framed. Unitised façade systems, mechanical & electrical works, lifts, external works, and highways all fall under Lendlease’s remit.

Demolition has started on site

Demolition is currently under way around the site by contractor Green Remediation, with works commencing early last month and due to complete by the middle of September this year.

Buildings set to be fully demolished during the construction programme are the existing Globe & Simpson buildings; the Baronial Hall; the Workshop; a four-storey annex facing Atherton Street; and a car park boundary wall.

The Baronial Hall, which borders Water Street, and Workshop buildings sit opposite the Bonded Warehouse. The latter building is currently being refurbished by contractor Amspec ahead of a launch later this year; the third floor will be host to Allied London’s co-working brand All Work & Social, while lower floors will feature a craft brewery and gin distillery among others.

Elsewhere, both the HQ building and the Boiler House, running along Atherton Street will be stripped out with interior alterations but will otherwise be retained.

At 52 storeys, The Tower is the tallest of the buildings planned for St Johns

Demolition works will be followed by an extensive programme of land remediation, excavation and enabling works to prepare the site for the construction of the new-build elements of St Johns.

Enabling works have been supported by a £16.5m senior loan from the North West Evergreen Fund, which was secured last September.

Lendlease will carry out this work, including sewer diversions and utilities, with the latter getting under way this year and completing in March 2019.

The contractor will then install a basement structure which will go up to podium level; separate construction method statements will be brought forward for each individual building, depending on when they are built out within the project’s phased delivery.

Over the course of the project and the site remediation it is expected Lendlease will excavate as much as 100,000 cubic metres of material from the site. The main welfare and site set-up will be situated on Water Street, and Lendlease expects to have around 1,700 people on site at peak.

The majority of Water Street is expected to be closed for around three years to facilitate the project, alongside the delivery of The Factory, the arts venue being delivered by contractor Laing O’Rourke.

Alongside Lendlease, the professional team on the project includes architects Denton Corker Marshall and Chapman Taylor; structural engineer Curtins; M&E consultant Crooks Walker; and principle designer Orsa.

Gary Mather, development director at Allied London, said: “We’re excited to progress enabling works and demolition across the entire St. John’s site, making way for key Enterprise City assets.

“Extensive refurbishment works are ongoing at The ABC Buildings and Bonded Warehouse, which are both due to launch later in 2018”.