INTERESTING news this and gives hope for one of the pivotal development sites in the UK - latterly one of Manchester's premier 'zombie' car parks.
All that follows is the Bruntwood press release:
A new community for business, science and innovation including 900,000 sq ft of commercial space as well as new public open space, retail, a hotel, car parking and high quality residential accommodation
Bruntwood today announced that it has acquired the former BBC site on Oxford Road from Realty Estates. It is a key strategic acquisition which, with the company’s adjacent holdings, will comprise an 8 acre development site and will see Bruntwood consolidate its significant interest in Corridor, Manchester.
Since the BBC’s move, Realty Estates have undertaken the demolition of the site and worked up a strategic development framework with Manchester City Council. Yousef Tishbi of Realty Estates said “Having worked up the masterplan for the site with The City we are pleased to have sold to Bruntwood who, we are sure, with MSP, will deliver a scheme that will help further develop the city’s proposition to the science and technology sectors”.
The scheme proposed by Bruntwood will create a new community for business, science and innovation including 900,000 sq ft of commercial space as well as new public open space, retail, a hotel, car parking and high quality residential accommodation. Bruntwood will announce its detailed site masterplan in due course incorporating its adjacent property; the Manchester Technology Centre.
The deal also represents another significant step in the growth of Manchester’s Innovation District; Corridor Manchester, where more than £1.25bn has been invested in the last 10 years and a further £1.25bn is planned and committed in the next 6 years.
Bruntwood Chief Executive Chris Oglesby said: “We have long seen this as a strategically important site for Bruntwood, linking our extensive city centre office portfolio with our science and technology interests at Corridor Manchester through Manchester Science Partnerships. We are looking forward to developing out a masterplan that will be truly transformational for this area of the city. The finished scheme, plus the central Corridor campus of MSP, Citylabs and Alderley Park represent a world class cluster of more than 3m sq ft of commercial space aimed at satisfying the incredible demand that Manchester is witnessing from these fast growing sectors of the economy.”
Of course the above press release from Bruntwood means dreams are dashed for Confidential's absurdist correspondent Sleuth - click here.
