Refreshed plans to be passed for First Street and Boddingtons

Updated development frameworks for the 20-acre First Street and the seven-acre former Boddingtons Brewery site in Manchester are set to be formally endorsed by the city council, both with a greater focus on residential schemes.

Manchester City Council’s executive committee on the 4 November will meet to sign-off both plans, which were put out for public consultation at the beginning of the summer, with no responses received.

At First Street, office space is set to increase from 1m sq ft to 2.1m sq ft, while proposals for a foodstore and hotel near Hulme Street have been replaced with almost 1m sq ft of residential accommodation.

The plans by new owner Patrizia and local development partner Ask build on the details of the last framework for the site, which was approved in 2012. The first phase at First Street, known as First Street North, included the HOME arts centre, the Melia INNSIDE hotel, a 279-room Vita luxury student accommodation scheme, and a 700-space Q-Park multi-storey car park.

At First Street Central, the 180,000 sq ft Number One First Street office and the 220,000 sq ft Number Six First Street are the first of seven commercial schemes being brought forward.

According to the updated framework, First Street Central will now see a higher density of development, increasing from between six and eight storeys to seven and 11 storeys. The plot was originally due to deliver 1m sq ft of offices, which the developer has said could be increased to 2.1m sq ft due to high market demand.

The updated plans show a shift towards residential-led development, with almost 1m sq ft of residential and student accommodation and 45,000 sq ft of retail and leisure. The homes would be a mix of low, medium and high-rise housing in a grid pattern.

At the seven-acre former Boddingtons Brewery site north of the city centre, the emphasis is on residential development to create “a critical mass of activity.”

The site is owned by Realty Estates and is currently used as an 850-space car park. The development of a 200-bedroom Travelodge Hotel by Worthington Properties on part of the land was completed in 2010.

Previous plans focused on an office, leisure and retail development, with some residential units, however future activity on the site will now include 50% residential accommodation. According to a report to the council, the focus will be on a “large early phase of residential development, with extensive public realm and commercial accommodation on the lower floors aimed at start-up businesses”.

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The old Boddington site is in desperate need of something.Anything would be an improvement on what is currently there.I wish developers would stop including retail units in the bases of these buildings,which either finish up empty for years,or just have a dreary chain or convenience store in them.

By Elephant

Surely the best used for at least a decent sized part the boddingtons site would be a massive multi-story car park with free frequent park and ride bus facilities servicing the whole of the city centre and with proper incentives to use it (low monthly season ticket prices, nice independent coffee sellers, make it a real sense of place) – that’d hugely ease congestion problems further into the city centre and appropriately service continued big events at the MEN Arena. I appreciate property people generally aren’t fans of surface car parks but losing that one is only going to drive an extra (up to) 850 vehicle movements further into the city centre and make congestion even worse. That and an equivalent on the surface car park just off the A56 for those travelling from the south side of the conurbation would make huge sense.

It’s all getting a bit silly with all these residential high-rises as well… not a chance they’ll all be full or the guaranteed “cash cow” that some investors seem to be expecting….

By Car parker

An absolutely appalling set of buildings at First Street. I just cannot believe how badly this turned out. Bring back Cornerhouse!

By Reader

Car Parker there is a massive lack of apartments in Manchester. Most buildings are full.

By York Street

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