One Medlock Street CGI Whitbread and Dominvs p Turley

Jon Matthews Architects and Planit-IE are leading the design team on One Medlock Street. Credit: via Turley

Offices and resi tower lined up for One Medlock

Developers Dominvs Group and Whitbread have published their ambitions for the Deansgate Locks Premier Inn site, which sits within Manchester City Council’s First Street Development Framework.

Whitbread owns the site off the five-storey hotel, which will be demolished to make way for the new One Medlock Street scheme.

Designed by Jon Matthews Architects and Planit-IE, the project features a 13-storey block offering 387,500 sq ft of Grade A office space. Each floor would have its own external amenity space, according to initial designs. The office block would sit on the eastern section of the site, fronting Medlock Street.

On the western side of the site would be the 37-storey student accommodation tower. Featuring 1,000 student rooms spread out across nearly 323,000 sq ft. The tower would have amenity space on its ground, first, 11th and 37th floors. The building’s northern façade would also have space for public artwork to be displayed.

There are three areas of public realm proposed: The Wood pocket park, River Street Rain Garden, and Edge Street. Edge Street would be a green street featuring trees and ornamental plants and would connect the project to the nearby River Street Tower, another student accommodation development.

The proposals do not include much parking, with only six disabled spaces for the office building and two for the student tower planned. This is meant to encourage workers and residents to make sustainable travel choices, according to the developers.

The consultation on the proposals will continue through 5 October. The consultation website is onemedlockstreet.co.uk.

Planning consultant Turley is readying a formal planning application for submission later in October. If permission is granted, construction could begin by the end of 2023.

The developers estimate that full-time jobs would be created during the three-year construction period.

One Medlock Street CGI Whitbread and Dominvs p consultation

CGI showing how One Medlock Street will fit into the Manchester skyline. Credit: via consultation documents

Jay Ahluwalia, principal director at Dominvs Group, said the company was “delighted to be bringing forward these transformational plans to repurpose this site in the city centre”.

Ahluwalia continued: “The site offers an opportunity to contribute to a vibrant new neighbourhood by providing a mix of commercial office space and student accommodation, making it an attractive and sustainable setting for work, study and living and we look forward to engaging with the surrounding community through our public consultation.”

Richard Pearson, senior development manager at Whitbread, explained the decision to redevelop the Premier Inn site.

“We have recently invested in new hotel accommodation in the city centre, including the new 157-bedroom Premier Inn on Princess Street as part of the Circle Square development, just a short walk away from the site at Medlock Street,” he said.

“Our decision to redevelop the site of the Deansgate Locks Premier Inn is part of our wider strategy to ensure our city centre hotel offer is of the highest quality and in the best locations for our customers.”

Pearson added: “We now have the opportunity to realise the true potential of the Medlock Street site by creating high-quality workspace and student accommodation at an important gateway to the city centre, whilst generating funds to reinvest in our network of hotels in Manchester elsewhere.”

Elsewhere on First Street, Ask Real Estate is building a 180,000 sq ft office. Like Whitbread and Dominvs’s scheme, this building is also designed by Jon Matthews Architects. Approval for Ask’s office was granted in May, with the Government Property Agency signing a lease for most of the space in June.

Your Comments

Read our comments policy

MancHattan

By ChorltonRed

Looking at the pace of development, Manchester’s really graduating from the regional tier.

By Skyline

It looks stunning! And always good to see more spaces for students in the city.

By MC

This looks like a brilliant, top quality development. Get it built!

By New Wave

Good design. Get it up!

By Tom

Related Articles

Sign up to receive the Place Daily Briefing

Join more than 13,000 property professionals and receive your free daily round-up of built environment news direct to your inbox

Subscribe

Join more than 13,000 property professionals and sign up to receive your free daily round-up of built environment news direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you are agreeing to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy.

"*" indicates required fields

Your Job Field*
Other regional Publications - select below