Work to begin on Gary Neville’s St Michael’s development next month

Gary Neville’s Relentless Developments has announced that work will start on site at the much-anticipated St Michael’s development in Manchester in early January 2022, with expected completion in 2024.

The development is a joint venture project with investment firm KKR. Contractor Bowmer & Kirkland will deliver the first phase of the scheme, comprising 185,000 sq ft of Grade A office accommodation across nine floors and a rooftop restaurant to accommodate 900 guests.

Ex-Manchester United footballer Neville said: “This is such an important project for Manchester. We are really pleased to be announcing the start-on-site in what is another major step forward for this legacy scheme. The aim is to deliver a world class development for our city and the UK.

“Our team has worked tirelessly with our joint venture partner KKR, along with contractor B&K and Manchester City Council, and it is the dedication of these teams that has enabled the first phase to come to fruition in the new year.”

The mixed-use development is expected to bring £120m of investment into the city and create around 1,800 jobs through Phase One. It will also feature retail, cafés and restaurants, a spa and gym, and a 191-bedroom five-star hotel.

Plans for a boutique hotel to be included within the development were revealed to have been scrapped earlier this year in favour of office space. Documents submitted to the council said that securing an operator for a boutique hotel post-pandemic was "more challenging than previously, making a hotel use less attractive".

OBI are office agents on the scheme. Interiors for the scheme have been designed in collaboration with Skidmore, Owings & Merrill.

Bev Craig, leader of Manchester City Council, said: “This is momentous news for the St Michael’s project. This development will be transformational for the Jackson Row area and confirmation that a start on site is imminent is very welcome.”

Joanne Roney, chief executive of Manchester City Council, said: “St Michael’s has been a hugely complex development to bring forward and it’s testament to the strength of partnership working in our city that we can deliver programmes of regeneration with this level of ambition. The Jackson’s Row area has a huge amount of potential and it’s great to see this being realised.”

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