Oglesby acquires Winter’s Building

Bruntwood chief executive Chris Oglesby has bought the grade two-listed Manchester building, located off St Ann’s Square.

Located at 1 St Ann’s Churchyard, the Winter’s Building is currently vacant. Its ground floor retail space was most recently occupied by Cos after Gap vacated the unit in 2019.

Oglesby confirmed to Place North West that he had bought the building and is looking to bring it back into use. Retail space planned on the ground floor and the upper floors are earmarked for an office-to-residential conversion.

A company called Winters Building Freehold was established earlier this year and lists Oglesby and his wife Jane as directors. The asset has been acquired by the Oglesbys and sits outside of the Bruntwood portfolio, it is understood.

The building’s previous owner was Essex County Council, which acquired the building for just shy of £6m in 2020, according to Land Registry. Winter’s Building was constructed in 1901 and is of “eclectic style with Elizabethan features, and some Art Nouveau decoration”, according to its official listing.