Singapore consortium reveals hotel plans for Dry Bar

A consortium led by Heeton Holdings has acquired Manchester’s Dry Bar, unveiling its intention to develop a hotel at the Oldham Street site.

Famously owned by Factory Records and an influential part of Manchester’s leisure scene through the 1990s, the Dry Bar was put up for sale through Christies last year by owners the Dwyer family, with a guide price of £4m.

There is an existing planning permission from 2015 to convert the underused upper floors of the building into a hotel. The design, by HLM Architects, includes the addition of an extension above the existing roof level.

The consortium is led by Heeton, a residential and hospitality sector business, and also includes construction group KSH Holdings and engineer Ryobi Kiso Holdings. Heeton this year opened its first LUMA boutique hotel in Hammersmith and has been involved in UK hospitality since 2009, with hotels under its management including the Holiday Inn Express Manchester.

Edwin Liu, country head (UK & Europe) at Heeton Holdings, said: “We’re delighted to be taking forward this project in an area that is so culturally important to Manchester. We look forward to working with Manchester City Council to realise a shared vision for the site.

“We believe that the addition of a distinctive new hotel will help to cement the Northern Quarter’s position as a major destination within this vibrant international city.

Heeton said that it received a positive reaction to its proposals at a consultation event for neighbours. Nicky Oliver, of the eponymous hair salon adjacent to the site, said:

“The Northern Quarter has changed hugely in the 25 years we’ve been here and it must continue to evolve. I’ve been impressed with the quality of Heeton’s plans and think this will be a great addition to Oldham Street.”

A planning application for the scheme will be submitted soon.