Work starts on Kompany-backed Ancoats apartments

Contractor JRL has arrived on site to undertake enabling works for the 75-apartment development being brought forward by M4nchester Two, an SPV formed by ex-Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany and Northern Group’s Nathan Ezair. 

Northern is a long-term stakeholder in Ancoats and has delivered projects such as Ice Plant and Jactin House.

This nine-storey block was approved in June 2019, overcoming objections from Historic England to the scale of the development, and will provide 23 one-bed, 47 two-bed, and five three-bed apartments on the upper floors with 24,000 sq ft for offices on the ground and first.

The Mecanoo-designed building will sit on a plot bounded by Bengal Street, Primrose Street, Radium Street and Silk Street.

The site was formerly occupied by an electrical works factory, which was demolished by enabling works contractor Rhodar, and was previously home to Unity Radio before it relocated to Media City in 2017.

Contractor Artez had been lined up but it is understood that this is no longer the case and that, once groundworks are complete, the developer will look to appoint another contractor. MAC Construction Consultants is quantity surveyor overseeing the groundworks being carried out by JRL.

Falconer Chester Hall is project architect with Hydrock carrying out civil engineering and structural work.

Alex Laycock, director of MAC Construction Consultants, said: “Thanks to the hard work of the wider professional team, work is now underway on the formerly disused site at Bengal Street.”