Renaker progresses overhaul of historic Collier Street Baths
Built in the 1850s to provide a place for people to wash amid rapid industrialisation, the grade two star-listed structure could once again become a community asset as part of the developer’s three-tower Greengate masterplan in Salford.
Renaker has submitted an application to Salford City Council to carry out the work necessary to bring Collier Street Baths back to a lettable state. The building has been shrouded in scaffolding for several years and is on Historic England’s at risk register.
Various end uses are being considered, including a food hall. Transforming the space back to something resembling its original use is also not being ruled out completely.
“Should a swimming pool ever become a viable business opportunity in the future, then the proposed floor installation is considered a sympathetic and reversible intervention,” according to a design and access statement prepared by Buttress, which is advising Renaker on the scheme.
Whatever it becomes, the plan for the baths project is to “have a focus on inclusion, public access, and place-making,” Buttress said.
Renaker claims the costs of the project would “far outweigh” the estimated end value of the asset and is requesting a five-year implementation window for the scheme, compared to the standard three years, to find a viable route to delivery.
The work proposed includes repairs to the fabric of the building, a new roof, and the installation of staircases allowing access to the building’s mezzanine level.
Collier Street Baths will be split into two distinct areas: North Pool Hall and South Pool Hall. Both areas will be brought back to shell with fit-out works to be carried out once an end-user is identified.
DP2, a Desimone company, is the structural engineer on the project, Curtins is the civil engineer, and TPM Landscapes is advising on the external areas.
Futureserv and Surety Fire are advising on M&E and fire safety respectively. To learn more about the scheme search for reference number PA/2024/1485 on Salford City Council’s planning portal.
Renaker is delivering three residential towers at Greengate. The 43-storey Bankside, which is nearing completion, Cortland at Colliers Yard, which stands at 52-storeys tall and completed in 2023, and Parkside – a 41-storey scheme that is yet to commence.
Please no more restaurants or bars
By Anonymous
If no more restaurants and bars then what? I think this is a great idea to give life to a building which has stood empty for so long. Another great asset for tourism and attracting people to the North of England.
By Annonymous
The 3 new Renaker towers and the 10 refurbished archways will bring around 25 new commercial units to Greengate. And there’s still a few empty plots awaiting proposals. Crazy to think what was Manchester’s car park could become a destination. I welcome restaurants and bars
By Anonymous
Deansgate Square isn’t a destination, this won’t be either
By Anonymous
Anonymous 10.43 – if you don’t want to go to a restaurant or a bar you don’t have to. But there’s clearly demand for them and they provide jobs and life to an area which literally used to be a grey car park. So scrooge off
By it's not all about you
A destination?! ..is that new witter speak for people will chose to travel from far and wide to go there.? You clearly don’t know how a city works..or apartment buildings .
By Anonymous
@Anon 4:58. Deansgate Square isn’t a destination but Greengate will be. The main difference? Greengate has been planned in much greater detail with greater involvement by the local authority planning department and will be pleasant to walk around with much more shops, bars, open space and amenities when it’s finished. By contrast, Great Jackson Street (Deansgate Square) has been rushed with only a very light touch planning framework to guide development. As a consequence the streets there are pretty dead and the area not very nice to walk around.
By Anonymous
Could it be transformed into a boutique hotel, similar to the Exchange Hotel? It would make for a refined and vibrant space, bringing a lively yet sophisticated energy to the area.
By Darren
Really excited to see this progress.
I couldn’t disagree more w/ people jumping on the word ‘destination’. Since the ped. zone under the railway bridge, Cortland & the new parklet all opened up, I regularly go to the Eagle now with friends and would never have done back when Greengate was just a giant car park.
Eagle & the renovated baths will retain lovely heritage assets & bring a lot of charm and character to what would otherwise be just another set of towers. Fantastic.
By Anonymous
The difference between Greengate and Great Jackson St is the difference between the Salford and Manchester planning departments. Manchester: sod it, build whatever you want we don’t care. Salford: do it properly, with good public realm and human-scale frontages. It isn’t difficult even at this early stage to see which area will become a treasured part of the city in future: and it’s unlikely to be grey, windswept Deansgate Square.
By Anonymous
Anonymous 11-17……..I get the tram into Manchester from Stretford every day. If you sit on the left hand side you see what has been built in Salford……..pretty drab and dull. If you sit on the right you see what has been built in Manchester. I always try so sit on the right as the view is stunning
By Anonymous
I would like to see something like London’s Borough Market here. Manchester is a grown up European city now. I agree about Deansgate Square to an extent, it is a dormitory, rather than a destination.
By Elephant
‘The difference between’..blah blah blah….I actually live in the Anaconda cut. It’s quick and easy to spot someone who has no notion of either Greengate or Gt Jackson st from the same nonsensical comments like this . Streetscapes and neighbourhoods take years to create long after the buildings have gone up and in both areas they will be building for years yet. Celebrate or decry as you wish but please try to maintain some perspective. Life will be much happier.
By Anonymous
I’d like to add that the Greengate neighbourhood is set to become a vibrant hub with the completion of Parkside, which will introduce another Build-to-Rent project to the area. Beyond this, Renaker plans to expand development onto adjacent plots, with at least one expected to be for sale.
By Martina
Why proposed 5 year window instead of 3 years? Smacks of “we’re just doing this to keep the council happy so we can keep building residential towers and have no interest in this building”.
By Anonymous