Sarah Tower reborn as Premier Inn
Property Alliance Group is planning to build a Premier Inn hotel on the site abandoned by Bashar Issa on Dale Street.
Architects Stephenson Bell have submitted a planning application on PAG's behalf for the 193-room, 12-storey hotel.
PAG has agreed a deal in principle with administrators KPMG, acting on behalf of Bank of Ireland, which was owed £17m by Issa Developments before it failed. Bashar Issa was declared bankrupt owing £69m in 2009. The sale is subject to planning consent being achieved.
Sarah Tower started on site before the recession but never got passed the start of the steel frame erection. This will be dismantled and the new block built in its place on the corner of Lena Street and Dale Street.
Manchester City Council is due to decide on the application in December. Pending planning consent, construction will start immdiately with practical completion due early 2012. Russells Construction has been instructed as contractor.
The hotel will be the fourth Premier Inn in Manchester city centre and will join Malmaison, ABode and City Inn near Piccadilly station.
Dominic Pozzoni, commercial director of Property Alliance Group, said: "This site acquisition and lease agreement with Premier Inn demonstrates Alliance's keen ambitions to step up development opportunities in the North West and we're delighted by the quick progress and strong relationship we've formed with Premier Inn to bring an exciting scheme to fruition. Our architects have worked closely with Premier Inn to design a stunning building and together with its Russells Construction we will ensure this new build Premier Inn hotel will be a great success."
Heatons Solicitors LLP and Jenics acted on behalf of Property Alliance Group and Cobbetts and King Sturge advised Premier Inn.
I work in the hospitality sector in Manchester which is already struggling to fill rooms and serviced apartments due to a complete over supply of Hotel rooms and serviced apartments already. We already have within a square mile around Piccadilly Station: The Malmaison, The City Inn, The Place Serviced Apartments, The MacDonald, The Thistle, Stay Manchester Apartments, SACO Serviced Apartments, The Garden Hotel, The Ramada Hotel, The Britainnia Hotel as well as the new Travelodge due to be built in Piccadilly Gardens shortly. I know that for Manchester City Council it looks great to be creating xxx number of jobs by granting a planning application for yet another Hotel, but what about the people in the other competing Hotels that will lose their jobs because their Hotel is fighting against an increasingly small pool of business with an increasingly large number of competitors….? Is there really that much requirement in Manchester City Centre bearing in mind the 2hr train link to London?
By Toomanyhotels
The original development was actually called Issa Quey and Sarah Tower is in fact another one of Bashars half built developments but this is in Ancoats not on the Corner of Dale Street.
By Danielle
Issa Quay was built across the way. sarah point is in ancoats. this was and remains sarah tower.
By factus
I thought sarah Tower was the ‘higher than the hilton’ tower to be built on greengate…
By iq
That was Canopus
By Ed