CAPITAL&CENTRIC / Kamani Property Group / Hawkins\Brown
CAPITAL&CENTRIC and Kamani Property Group have this week confirmed the submission of plans for the new Swan Street community.
Social impact developer CAPITAL&CENTRIC – which recently featured in the BBC2 documentary Manctopia – has submitted a planning application for a £37 million scheme to create a new community in Manchester’s New Cross district in partnership with Kamani Property Group.
Located opposite the Mackie Mayor food hall and iconic Band on the Wall venue, the scheme will transform thesite on Swan Street – which CAPITAL&CENTRIC purchased with Kamani Property last year, and is currently home to two derelict buildings, once used as a MOT garage and a storage facility – into 118 new homes, with a mix of one, two and three bed design-led apartments.
There will be ground floor workspaces and spaces for local businesses to locate, such as a café-bar or deli.
A shared roof terrace and private roof terraces for residents are also planned, as the developers look to maximise outdoor space [and] with a striking design, it will also feature a huge 270m art canvas on the front of the building – which will be one of the largest in the city and will showcase local and international artists.
Speaking on the plans for the new community, Tim Heatley – Co-Founder of CAPITAL&CENTRIC – said: “New Cross used to be a thriving location in the 18th and 19th century, and its due to have its day again. The area’s already attracting indie businesses and the same is going to happen with residents wanting to be part of the growing neighbourhood.
“As you’d probably expect from us, we’ve gone for a bold design with a huge art canvas on the building.
“We want people to stop and look and for it to become a talking point. Architecture should be interesting and draw people in – we’re not interested in building a bland boring building”.
Adam Kamani – CEO of Kamani Property – said: “Manchester runs through our veins and we’re proud to be part of the New Cross district’s resurgence.
“The city centre has been through a tough and unprecedented year tackling COVID-19, but we’re looking forwards to the comeback and recovery. As a business we’re keen to play our part in helping Manchester to thrive again [and] the submission of our plans with CAPITAL&CENTRIC to breathe new life into an under-loved part of the city with boundless potential is a great way to kick off 2021.”
Tom Dobson, Associate Director at Hawkins\Brown – the architects behind the scheme – said: “Swan Street is a fantastic opportunity to provide a new landmark destination with a layered architectural response, designed to offer a mixed use scheme of high-quality homes activated at ground level by commercial premises and enhanced public realm.”
The New Cross district is bound by Swan Street, Oldham Road, Rochdale Road, and Livesey Street.
In 2015, Manchester City Council approved a Neighbourhood Development Framework for New Cross to guide future development and create a vibrant new residential led neighbourhood, and the planning application submission by CAPITAL&CENTRIC and Kamani Property Group this week follows a public consultation, which was held during December.
A decision on the planning application is expected from Manchester City Council in the Spring.
Property
No-phones nightclub Amber’s has announced it is relaunching its second room
Danny Jones
Manchester’s famous no-phones nightclub, Amber’s, is preparing for a relaunch of its second room, just over half a year on from the venue’s opening week.
The smash hit, semi-censored space, which enforces a strictly no-device policy to ensure those in attendance maximise their amount of in-the-moment enjoyment without any risk of distraction, has just announced that they will be reworking ‘Room 2’.
Confirmed just in time for the rest of summer ‘season three’, where plenty of people will be opting to rave instead of splash their cash on Oasis and/or festival tickets, the soon-to-be-refreshed space will partner with audio specialists to provide an experience set to rival the main room.
Sharing a post featuring blueprints for the fixtures and some of the top-end equipment, new-look second room opens its doors early next month.
Writing on social media, the venue wrote: “Amber’s is proud to announce the relaunch of Room Two, featuring a brand new custom soundsystem designed by Norwegian pro-audio specialist NNNN and OJAS, and installed by Neuron Audio Visual.
“The collaboration between Amber’s and NNNN is the first time that the Oslo-based company, which specialises in innovating the future of audio, has created a speaker system for use in the UK. Amber’s will be the first venue in the country to house the state-of-the-art system.”
“The partnership furthers our commitment to world-class sound and creating a truly unique club space in the heart of Manchester. Room Two also now boasts a brand new lighting system and has received bespoke acoustic treatment.”
Reacting to the news, plenty of punters and artists alike are already stoked to see what they have in store; promoters ABB Events simply said, “We can’t wait to test this out 26 September.”
Speaking to The Manc, a regular visitor of Amber’s Manchester told us: “Room Two at Amber’s always felt a little forgotten – a space with potential, but lacking the same pull as the main room. With this new Soundsystem they’re putting in, it finally feels like it’s getting the love it deserves.”
While we understand the urge to document those ‘unforgettable’ gig moments – that does kind of go against what we build them up to be, hence why the Amber’s concept has gone down so well.
Teasing a lineup of “the best in house, techno and groove”, Amber’s Room Two 2.0 will debut on 2 August, and regulars are buzzing for it.
As always, the headliner remains unannounced to keep that allure, as well as that further added feeling of anticipation and excitement.
Inside One Port Street, the Northern Quarter’s luxury new 32-storey apartment block
Daisy Jackson
A towering new development in the Northern Quarter has revealed its open date – and given a sneak glimpse inside the luxury apartments.
One Port Street is a £195m development on the doorstep of both the Northern Quarter and Ancoats, standing at 32 storeys tall and boasting 477 open-plan apartments.
And this major new development will also be home to a 2000 sq ft leisure facility with a swimming pool, a spa pool, and an urban garden, with a total of 22,000 sq ft of public green space.
The building’s hit a major milestone this month, finally confirming an opening date of February 2026.
One Port Street has been developed by Select Property in partnership with prestigious architects SimpsonHaugh.
Inside, each apartment will offer an industrial aesthetic with exposed textures, and apartments ranging in size from one bed to three.
There’ll be glass balcony balustrades, with a pattern inspired by textile patterns from the Whitworth Art Gallery.
As well as the apartments, One Port Street will have high-spec indoor and outdoor working and socialising spaces, such as a 360° firepit, state-of-the-art gym and yoga studios, and co-working spaces.
CGIs of how One Port Street will look when it’s completed. Credit: Jon Parker Lee
On the 7th floor, there’ll be a resident lounge and external terrace, named after a tavern which stood on Port Street 200 years ago, plus a secret room for residents called The Hideout.
Ian Simpson, Founder Partner at SimpsonHaugh, said: “One Port Street embodies the rich architectural diversity of Manchester.
“This development offers more than just a place to live, work, and socialise – it’s a sanctuary within the city’s most creative and lively neighbourhood. It’s a true example of what a sustainable, modern community should be.”
Inside a One Port Street apartment. Credit: The Manc Group
Adam Price, CEO at Select Property, added: “One Port Street is set to be a true landmark for Manchester and represents everything we believe modern residential living should be – design-led, community-minded and connected to its surroundings and local heritage.
“The Northern Quarter has long been the focal point of Manchester’s creativity and culture and this new development takes inspiration from that while bringing something new to the community.
“The response so far has been phenomenal, and as we enter the final phase, we’re proud to be collaborating with local artists and independent businesses to bring the finishing touches to life, ahead of welcoming our first residents. Make sure you join the waitlist to be part of this exciting story.”
One Port Street is set to complete in February 2026 and you can see more here.