PAG shifts to new-build for Renaissance office 

The developer will no longer retain the concrete frame of the former Premier House building in Manchester as keeping it would “severely impact the deliverability of the project”. 

The redevelopment of Premier House is one part of a three-phase, £200m plan to overhaul the Renaissance complex off Deansgate, a project that is being delivered by a joint venture between Property Alliance Group and Starwood Capital.  

Work to knock down part of the outdated office building and strip back the rest has already taken place and plan to create 40,000 sq ft of modern office space within the original frame were approved last October. 

However, following design development, the joint venture has applied to demolish what is left of Premier House and press ahead with a new-build alternative. 

A letter prepared by Avison Young and lodged with the application said retaining the existing frame as originally planned would “result in significant compromises to the quality and usability of the new office accommodation, including restricting floor to ceiling heights”. 

The previously proposed office scheme. Credit: via planning documents

“Retaining the structure of the current building and integrating it into the new office building would severely impact the deliverability of the project,” the letter adds. 

The hotel portion of Property Alliance Group and Starwood Capital’s Renaissance project was approved by the city council in August 2021.  

SH Hotels & Resorts, an affiliate of US-based investor Starwood, is to operate the 216-bedroom hotel under its Treehouse brand. 

Meanwhile, the joint venture is still awaiting approval for the residential element of the scme a 300-apartment, 27-storey tower. 

All three elements of the project were designed by Jon Matthews Architects.