IF YOU'VE been scooting into Manchester down Princess Parkway and then along Medlock Street you can't failed to have noticed buildings rising.
It will have a 500-seat theatre, a 150-seat flexible studio space; five cinema screens, a 500m2, 4m high gallery space, digital production and broadcast facilities and a cafe bar and restaurant
These are part of the £90m scheme at First Street North, the ASK development.
The principal building on the site is HOME, the £25m new cultural venue due to open in spring 2015.
HOME is the product of a merger between two Manchester arts organisations, Cornerhouse and the Library Theatre Company. It will have a 500-seat theatre, a 150-seat flexible studio space; five cinema screens, a 500m2, 4m high gallery space, digital production and broadcast facilities and a cafe bar and restaurant.
It's name is deeply controversial in Manchester - as this Confidential article shows.
Construction is also underway on the other elements of the 2.2 acre First Street North site which includes a 208 bed four star hotel to be operated by Melia International Hotels for their Innside brand, 279 luxury apartments aimed at international students, eight new restaurants/cafe units and a 700 space multi storey car park. There will also be a new public square.
First Street North is the first phase of the £500m First Street regeneration project covering 20 acres in total and being brought forward by Ask Property Developments, the Council’s development partner for the project.
In the press release we received Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, said after a site visit: “First Street North is gaining real momentum as a magnet for investment and job creation. We’ve been talking for some time about the huge potential of this site but it’s no longer an abstract, there is now real physical evidence of its future as a vibrant addition to Manchester city centre. It's great to see the vision starting to take shape."
Men in suits (mostly) amongst the cranes: l-r: Tony Shenton of Wates Construction North West, HOME chief executive Dave Moutrey, Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, John Hughes, MD of Ask Property Developments and HOME chair of trustees Jim Forrester oversee work on the £90m scheme to transform First Street North.
