A new landmark could soon appear on the Manchester skyline - with plans submitted for a tower containing nearly 400 new homes in Piccadilly. The part 10 and part 28-storey building on Sparkle Street, between the station and Piccadilly Village, would replace a number of derelict warehouses with 395 city centre homes.
The project, proposed by developers Foras Ltd and managers Central and Urban, would cost £75m to build and is a part of a development boom in the area.
Deloitte, which is consulting on the project, said Foras (a subsidiary of JRL Construction) wants 'forge the area as a vibrant neighbourhood and will provide a catalyst for other schemes to come forward and unlock the economic potential of the area outside Manchester Piccadilly Station'.
The 295 homes would be a mixture of one-bed, two-bed and three-bed apartments and five luxury townhouses. On three floors, there would be shared amenities such as social or working spaces, a communal garden and a potential health and wellbeing area.
Around 20 per cent of the apartments would be affordable - meaning some residents would pay around 80 pc of the market value.
The plans do not include on-site parking spaces. Residents would need to park in pay-and-display car parks and bays in the surrounding areas. An accessible parking bay would be created on Store Street through the relocation of a number of existing pay-and-display bays to Sparkle Street.
The building would include space for secure parking of just under 360 bicycles to promote active travel and the site is just a five minute walk from public transport links.
The architects Simpsonhaugh, who were involved in the initial designs for the renovation of Battersea Power Station in London, said they wanted the building to be ‘in keeping’ the character of the surrounding area, which is dominated by post-industrial and red-brick buildings.
The building would currently be one of the tallest in the immediate area, with the block facing Sparkle St reaching 28 stories. But the developers argue there is 'an aspiration for height' in the area, with a number of tall developments planned nearby.
To the north, Property Alliance Group’s Oxygen tower reaches 33 floors and the 15-storey ‘Gold Tower’ planned by M1 Piccadilly are due to be built in an adjoining plot.
No comments have been made on the plans so far. The plans will be under public consultation until June 28.
