Capital & Centric starts on Digital Village
Developer Capital & Centric is seeking a main contractor to deliver its latest scheme, the Digital Village business park in Salford Quays.
Digital Village will contain 45,000 sq ft of business units and offices. There will be a new public boulevard through the centre of the scheme linking the grade one-listed Ordsall Hall with the Manchester Ship Canal. A water taxi pontoon is included as part of the plans.
Capital & Centric is developing the Salford project speculatively, adding to its portfolio of more than 500,000 sq ft, the majority of which was delivered speculatively in the past three years.
The outcome of an application for a grant from the European Regional Development Fund is due shortly.
The contract will have a value of £2.7m with an expected start on site in October 2014. Expressions of interest are to be registered by 16 May 2014 via Constructionline.
Tim Heatley, director of Capital & Centric said: "As a Salford lad this project is close to my heart, I'm excited about people being able to get a water taxi to the city centre or to MediaCity via our boulevard. This will be our third project to commence construction this year, with two more speculative developments planned for later this year."
AEW is the architect on the scheme.
Completely inappropriate scheme. As a Salford lad the developer should be embarrassed dumping these cheap sheds on a prime waterfront site right next to Ordsall Hall. This site demands a high quality residential scheme.
By Appalled
They’ll look a lot better than the factory and scrub land it replaces. Wish we had more of this decent architecture in these part.
By Paul Robertson
Decent architecture? Not bad for a few sheds I suppose. But the whole development is a waste of a prime site that would have been ideal for residential or mixed use development. This will do little to enhance the regeneration of Ordsall.
By Appalled
Maybe it was deemed unsuitable to have residential on this site, though I dont think its “demands” high quality.
By MancLass
Ordsall Hall is just in the wrong place, that’s all.
What on earth were the developers thinking of at the time!?
By Bald Rick
Manclass – yes low quality and inappropriate is clearly the way to go here. Who cares how the inner city looks and functions anyway?
By Appalled
How about some half timbered offices?
Would that work?
By H Tudor
Appalled would you like to live on that site, surrounded by sheds? Seriously think about it, regardless of it being a “waterfront location” the surrounding area to that site(discounting Ordshall Hall) is predominently industrial. It would be like sticking a housing development in the middle of Trafford Park, it wouldnt work!
By MancLass
Is the regeneration team within Salford Council also responsible for the Ugly Sisters at Greengate? There seems to be a trend!
By Salford Lad
Manclass – the surrounding area, Ordsall, is predominantly residential. There is an adopted masterplan that seeks to make the most of the riverside location by developing housing and what’s more apartments (of dubious quality) are being developed further up the riverbank. If these sheds are to be a short term use then fine, but otherwise this is a shortsighted and wasteful use of a prime site; and of the EU funded public realm that opens up connections between the canal, Ordsall Hall and the housing beyond. Yes, I would happily live there if the product was right.
By Appalled