Former BBC site rebranded Circle Square
Joint venture partners Bruntwood and Select Property have announced Circle Square as the new name for the former BBC site in Manchester’s Oxford Road, and have released a series of artist’s impressions of the proposed development.
Explaining the choice of brand, a statement from Bruntwood and Select said: “Circle Square is set to be a diverse and unique place where discoveries and ideas can thrive, and the name is an intentional contradiction that invites curiosity and perfectly depicts the vision for the area.”
A series of public consultations outlining the ethos for the site are being held this week ahead of submitting the second planning application for the scheme in January. The first planning application was submitted earlier this year and is due to be approved early in 2016. The total estimated development value is £750m.
Bruntwood and Select announced a masterplan and phasing programme for the 2.5m sq ft project in September, following the acquisition of the six-acre site by Bruntwood from Realty Estates in April.
Central to the site will be two collaborative spaces designed to encourage a blend of people and businesses to come together. ‘The Green’ and a 20,000 sq ft pavilion will provide additional events space for the city, offering opportunities for staged and pop-up events.
The 617,848 sq ft residential space, which spans four buildings, will be operated under Select’s Affinity Living brand and the 390,000 sq ft of commercial space will be delivered by Bruntwood.
The offices are due to be targeted at technology companies, which would complement the existing dominance of health, science and tech occupiers along Oxford Road, including within Bruntwood’s Citylabs at the former Royal Eye Hospital.
The ground floors of both the residential and commercial spaces will include 82,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space.
Construction on the student flats is due to start in the first quarter of 2016, subject to planning approval, and will complete in late 2017. The commercial element will form the second phase of development.
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. Office agents are Savills, CBRE and Knight Frank.
There will be five phases in all. Later stages include hotel, apartments, and a 1,000-space multi-storey car park. The final phase is scheduled for completion in 2025.
To view the public consultation document click here
This looks pretty special.I hope that this is what it looks like when finished.
By Elephant
… there is nothing like a good name for a new scheme and that is nothing like a good name …
… marketeers must do better … Bruntwood keep up the good work …
By Norman Davies
Really pleased with the out come of this, the current car park situation on the site is pretty grim. A little disappointed with the name though… Circle square?… I’m sure we can do better than that!
By Francesca