Phase one of Downing’s £400m Square Gardens co-living project complete

The official opening of the 25-storey Acer Tower signified phase one’s completion.

The Acer Tower is north of the Mancunian Way and sits off Wilmott Street.

The co-living development has 1,187 beds across 716 apartments. It is part of Downing’s wider £400m Square Gardens masterplan, which also includes a 45-storey tower known as the Fernley.

Combined, the SimpsonHaugh-designed development is expected to deliver more than 1,700 homes to the First Street neighbourhood of Manchester’s city centre.

At Acer Tower, air source heat pumps have been installed to provide hot water, while the building has been given BREEAM Excellent rating as well as an EPC energy rating A.

Construction on the project began in January 2022.

The development, construction, and ongoing management are all being delivered by Downing.

Prospective renters at Acer Tower will be given a choice of three- to five-bedroom co-living apartments, studios, and one-bedroom flats.

Utilities will be covered for all residents and rent ranges from £225 per week to £500 per week.

Downing is expecting more than 1,000 residents to move in over the first few months.

The Fernley, the project’s 585-flat second phase, will open in spring 2025.

Once Square Gardens is complete, amenities for its residents will include a 24/7 onsite management team, a gym, and the “largest outdoor private gardens and terraces in the city centre”, according to a press release.

The outdoor area will reach 107,000 sq ft.

Across Square Gardens, 13,000 sq ft of space will be dedicated to health and well-being provisions.

Bay Downing, investment director at Downing, said: “This new development encompasses these needs with the offering of co-living spaces, individual studios or apartments, with the additional option of community-centred activities and amenities.

“We firmly believe that Square Gardens will fill a major gap in the rental market within the city centre, ensuring residents have a breadth of choice while, crucially, being able to tailor options to their lifestyles.”

AJP is the civil and structural engineer. Abacus is providing mechanical and electrical engineering services, while OPEN is the landscape architect.

Others on the project team include: Focchi, MPB, HE Simm, Cadgrange, AEC Acoustics and Design Fire Consultants.

Apartments at Acer Tower have been fitted out by Welcome, OEP, and Off Site Solutions.

To view the application, use the reference number 125573/FO/2019 in Manchester City Council’s planning portal.

Co-living is on the rise in Greater Manchester, with Salford City Council approving Progressive Living’s 568-studio Enclave Salford in early September.