£300m plan for Manchester civil service office hub

Aaron Morby 3 weeks ago

Manchester City Council and the Government Property Agency have opened public consultation on ambitious plans to redevelop the former Central Retail Park site in Manchester.

Two new civil services building will rise to 9 storeys and provide 800,000 sq ft of office space

The Government agency aims to create a major office hub for 7,000 civil servants at the site, along with a new city park.

The two major civil service buildings totalling 800,000 sq ft will be built in phase one with up to four buildings following in phase 2.

Construction of the Manchester Digital Campus is pencilled to begin in 2026 sustaining over 6,000 jobs during the four-year £300m construction programme.

The 10.5 acre site is located in between Great Ancoats Street and Cotton Field Park, with the Rochdale Canal Towpath on its western side and Old Mill Street to the east. It has been vacant since the Central Retail Park was demolished five years ago.

Cllr Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “We are beginning to see the potential of this site unlocked and the plans being developed by the council and the GPA meet the ambitions we have for this important site – including a new city centre park and digital campus that will be home to 7,000 civil servant jobs.”

Mark Bourgeois, Interim CEO at the GPA, said: “We are pleased to be working collaboratively with Manchester City Council on these plans to regenerate this important area of Manchester and we look forward to the input from city residents and businesses to help us deliver the optimum proposal.”