Plans in for Thomas Street hotel
Agecroft Investment Company has submitted its plans for a hotel and restaurant on Thomas Street in the Northern Quarter, tweaking the design of the scheme following a public consultation.
The project has been designed by Manchester-based GA Studio, and retains the listed 52-58 Thomas Street, a corner of the site which was formerly occupied at ground level by curry café Al Faisal, which moved across the road last year.
Filling in the island plot will be a series of internally linked buildings of between four and five storeys, and bounded by Thomas Street, Kelvin Street, John Street and Back Turner Street.
The development includes a 26-bedroom hotel, and ground level retail and restaurant unit, and a rooftop garden.
After the proposal went to public consultation in February, some elements have been changed, including lightening up the brickwork to stone cladding.
In the planning application, GA Studio said: “The revised concept for the island site has been driven strongly by its context, with particular reference to the retained heritage asset and the height of the surrounding buildings.
“The footprint of the island site has been split into four prominent quarters, to create four individual buildings, representing the ad hoc nature of the Northern Quarter.”
Agecroft said that the proposals can add to its “collection of characterful buildings in this much-loved area of the city and will provide more space for Northern Quarter businesses to grow”.
In autumn last year, Manchester City Council’s building control officers took the decision that demolition should go ahead at the site, which it described as in imminent danger of collapse.
While that’s good news they haven’t finished the one next door yet!
By York Street
York Street – different developer. The site next door has stalled because the meddling Northern Quarter Forum got one of the buildings on site listed half way through site clearance, so we’re now left with a big ugly gap site in the heart of the Northern Quarter. So you can thank the NQF for that
By Anonymous
Glad to see some heritage rentention but it is not enough!
By Acelius
Looks good. Get it built….hopefully the eyersore multi storey car park/drug dealers corner will get redeveloped soon….
By Steve
I can’t believe the Northern Quarter is still such a dump after all these years, what are the council playing at?
By Tes
The usual drivel that we so often get this time from Tes. The NQ is what it is because the council has let it grow organically. If the council intervened it would simply push up rents and drive out the businesses that make it so special. Try thinking rather than ranting
By Redatit
special? certianly not in a good way, half the buildings are derelict of falling down. The only successful ones are rough bars
By Tes
You are quite simply wrong tes . Go for a walk around and see just how many buildings have been refurbished and restored. Count them up. It is staggering. If you don’t like the NQ, you are in a pretty small minority. It’s a nice day, go for a walk around with your eyes open. So yes……..drivel tes just drivel
By Redatit
Been there, horrible car park, used needles, litter, people shooting up outside North Tea Power, druggies kicking off outside Centre Point, Urinating outside Sachas, filthy curry cafes, it’s popular, but only with a certain type of person.
By Tes
You poor soul. In such a small minority. So many people CHOOSE to live there. So many people CHOOSE to work there. So many people Choose to spend their leisure time there. You don’t speak for many TEs so I suggest you avoid it and leave it to those who love it. Perhaps you should try Knightsbridge or Kensington
By Redatit
You are quite simply wrong Redatit. He’s speaking for more than you care to think and not in a ‘small minority’ at all. Plenty of people CHOOSE to stick with other parts of the city centre.
Granted, some of the buildings are lovely following renovation, and there’s no doubting it’s a hip place to hang out, however much of NQ remains squalid and parts of it are indeed an eyesore.
Seek some balance and accept other views with some grace.
By AW
I prefer Shoreditch and Camden to Knightsbridge and Kensington personally.
By Tes
Thanks AW. I refer you to my first post. The facts speak for themselves in terms of the sheer number of people who use the NQ. Or am I mistaken. Some people will choose other parts of the city centre. The NQ doesn’t suit everyone and one size doesn’t fit all thank goodness. My views are evidenced based and not the type of rant we get from the naysayers such as tes and I suspect you.
By Redatit
‘Evidence based’ – Provide some then. Above and beyond ‘grow organically’ and ‘lots of people choose to go there’.
Would also love to see your reaction when I actually go on a rant!
By AW
And for the record I think these proposals look decent.
By AW
I’m with Tes. The NQ is crying out for intervention. It’s only because our standards are so low in Manchester that we believe any kind of public realm and cleaning up will change and ‘ruin’ the area.
By Ivy Shuttleworth
Happy to AW how about 6000 people live there. 7 listed buildings and 20 non listed buildings have been converted to residential use. 9 listed and 5 non listed buildings have been converted to offices. 2 LBs and 7 non LBs have been converted to hotel or other uses. 20 new build resi schemes. 10,000 people go there on a Friday and Saturday night. Those are facts. But you just rant away with the rest of those who don’t use their time constructively and spread untruths
By Redatit