April start for Fairfax as contractor revealed

RG Group is to deliver the 488-home build-to-rent scheme in Manchester’s Piccadilly East neighbourhood for developer Olympian Homes, aiming to complete by August 2024.

Manchester City Council issued a final decision notice for The Fairfax this March, a year after approving the Portugal Street East scheme in what has for several years been promoted as one of its priority residential development areas.

According to a statement of construction practice filed with MCC this week, principal contractor RG is aiming to start on site in April 2022 for client Olympian.

The project comprises blocks of 29 and 23 storeys. The taller building will include 56 one-bedroom flats and 168 two-bedroom flats, the 23-floor block will include 88 one-bedroom flats and 176 two-bedroom flats. The towers will be linked by a podium.

Jon Matthews Architects is the project’s executive design architect, with Day Architectural commissioned as the contractor’s delivery architect.

The scheme was first unveiled in 2017 as a joint venture between London-based Olympian and Aecom Capital, with Aecom’s construction arm Tishman originally lined up as contractor.

The development site is bound by Adair Street to the south-east, Portugal Street East to the south-west, the Ashton-under-Lyne Metrolink line and Longacre Street to the north and north-west, and warehousing between Longacre Street and Heyrod Street to the north-east.

Projects currently advancing in the Piccadilly East framework area include Capital&Centric’s £28m Ferrous, for which plans were submitted this month, CDL’s 352-apartment The Castings tower, and Victoria House, a joint venture between Salboy and Forshaw Land and Property.