Go ahead given for Manchester’s largest and most sustainable new office development

Plans to develop the largest, highly sustainable commercial building in Greater Manchester, set within the heart of MediaCity, have been given the green light, paving the way for the first major development for the waterside creative, tech and digital hub since Landsec’s 75% acquisition from Peel L&P in November 2021.

The iconic, £140 million (GDV), 11-storey, development in prime position opposite ITV and The University of Salford media campus, will be best in class, setting out to achieve Net Zero Carbon development status using the UK Green Building Council (UKGBC) Framework, Well Gold, with the goal of reaching Platinum status as well as the world renowned BREEAM Outstanding recognition. It will further bolster the portfolio of MediaCity’s net zero carbon buildings which currently has the highest cluster in the UK.

The highly sustainable development, designed by Sheppard Robson, with its striking glass and aluminium façade, will deliver a further 263,000 sqft of flexible office space to MediaCity with the potential to host a mixture of large corporates and small to medium sized businesses within its ARRIVE co-working workspace. It will be home to 2,200 people as well as three retail and leisure units, spanning 9,400 sqft across the ground floor, earmarked for independent traders.

The attractive development, will feature green balconies on every other level as well as an outdoor terrace overlooking a new, vast 28,000 sqft landscaped public realm which will maximise biodiversity with pathways and seating areas set within extensive trees, shrubs and herbaceous grasses for workers and the public to enjoy.

In line with its green credentials and focus on health and wellbeing for those that use the space, the development will support sustainable travel initiatives with a 283-capacity safe bike hub with changing facilities.

Stephen Wild, Managing Director of MediaCity said: “This is a milestone moment in our shared ambition with Landsec to double the size of MediaCity and deliver new buildings where businesses and their people will thrive among the dynamic community of creatives, techies and innovators who are based here. We’re creating an environment where we want people to be inspired by their surroundings both within the office and while taking time out in the green spaces we’re curating as well as along our unique waterfront setting.”

Mark Allan, CEO Landsec said, “MediaCity is a unique destination, currently unrivalled in the UK for its breadth of offering, from global content creation and innovation, to waterside living and leisure. Mixed-use developments such as this, with a clear sense of place, are becoming an increasingly important ingredient in the fabric of our cities. This next step in MediaCity’s evolution demonstrates our commitment to Salford and the vibrancy of the office market in Greater Manchester.”

The earliest potential start of the development would be in Summer 2023 and the project would take approximately two years to complete.