Vinci lined up as start nears for £250m New Victoria

Muse Development’s mixed-use project next to Manchester Victoria station, featuring more than 500 apartments and 100,000 sq ft of offices, looks set to get under way later this year with Vinci in negotiations to deliver the project.

The project is to be built on a site bounded by Corporation Street and Cheetham Hill Road next to the station, opposite NOMA, and will include two buildings of 25 and 20 storeys, along with a seven-storey office.

It is set to come forward in two phases: the first will include the two taller towers with the larger building featuring 293 apartments and the 20-storey block including 227 apartments, with ground floor retail space.

The 100,000 sq ft office will be delivered as part of a second phase. Muse is working in partnership with Network Rail and Manchester City Council, while Sheppard Robson is the architect.

Planning consent was granted in September 2016, and although Muse initially set a start date of Q4 2017 for the scheme, the significant constraints of the tight site have pushed this back.

It is understood Vinci has been in negotiations with Muse for the past 12 months. According to Muse, the scheme has a gross development value of £250m.

Although the contract with Vinci is yet to be finalised, according to a construction management plan filed with planning documents, enabling works are set to get under way in June with the first residential building starting in March next year. The second residential block will follow in June.

Discussions with a funding partner are understood to be ongoing.

The professional team also includes Deloitte; Walker Sime; Arup; Chroma Consulting; and Planit-IE. Muse declined to comment.