More details have been revealed for Gary Neville’s £400m city centre development, St Michael’s.
The former Manchester United legend threw open the doors to the site this week as construction gets well underway.
Including in the plans for St Michael’s – 15 years in the making – is a 41-storey skyscraper, a rooftop restaurant, and a 162-bed 5 Star international hotel.
That’s not to mention the 217 luxury residences, which go on sale after summer as part of a joint venture between Relentless Developments and property developer, Salboy.
St Michael’s will also save and refurbish the historic Sir Ralph Abercromby pub, which was initially set to be demolished before the developers u-turned and folded it in the plans.
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The tiny pub, one of the few structures remaining in the area from the time of the Peterloo Massacre, will be dwarfed by the new tower but encompassed in the overall St Michael’s vision.
Phase One of the scheme, which expects to be the first fully Net Zero Carbon commercial development in the city, is due to complete in 2024.
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This part includes the highly-anticipated rooftop restaurant, a new opening for Japanese-Peruvian restaurant Chotto Matte.
There’ll also be two other food and drink outlets top and tailing the building.
Watch a fly-through of the St Michael’s development below
Construction is taking place behind the original frontage of the Manchester City Police headquarters on Bootle Street, which is being preserved.
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A public square will see the historic Sir Ralph Abercromby pub retained and substantially refurbished.
Also included in No.1 St Michael’s is nine floors of ‘best-in-class’ office space, which will set a new headline rent for offices in Manchester.
In the coming weeks, work will begin on the landmark 41-storey tower, which will be the home of the 5 Star hotel and the luxury apartments, plus another 75,000 sq ft of office space.
Signing of the upscale hotel operator is in the works, and is due to be announced this autumn.
The St Michael’s development will bring £120m investment to the city, and create more than 3,000 jobs.
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The scheme has been designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and Hodder & Partners, with Bowmer and Kirkland working on No.1, and Salboy’s exclusive build partner Domis set to break ground on No.2 in the coming weeks.
The lobby at St Michael’s. Credit: SuppliedSt Michael’s Square. Credit: SuppliedThe terrace at St Michael’s. Credit: Supplied
Gary Neville, director at Relentless Developments, said: “This is an extraordinary scheme that has been no less than 15 years in the making and we believe it to be the most sustainable commercial space in the city. I’d like to thank all our partners who have been with me on this journey and remained committed to the vision to transform this pivotal area of the city into a global landmark.
“We’ve worked so hard to create a development that is distinctive in both its imaginative design and heritage as well as its location connecting the city’s business district with the historic civic quarter. Signing a deal with two of the world’s most reputable law firms and setting a new headline rent as we launch is testament to that.
“Progress is now beginning to accelerate as we approach the latter stages of No.1 and we set our sights on the world-class leisure and residential elements that will be delivered for No.2.”
No.1 St Michael’s (phase one) is a joint venture between Relentless Developments and global investment firm KKR. Nicky Barker, Managing Director and Head of Asset Management at KKR Europe Real Estate, said: “We are delighted to reach this important milestone and look forward to realising the vision for the exceptional regeneration project in the heart of Manchester alongside our partner, Relentless. We’re proud that the St. Michael’s project is being developed with the aim of achieving net zero carbon in construction and operation and targeting a BREEAM Outstanding rating.”
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A joint venture between Relentless and renowned property developer, Salboy, is enabling the delivery of No.2 St Michael’s (phase two). Simon Ismail, Co-Founder of Salboy, said: “Salboy and Relentless share a passion for delivering this new world-class development in the centre of Manchester. We are really looking forward to delivering No.2 St Michael’s, with the help of all of our dedicated partners. When complete, this long-awaited development will raise the bar for the city’s residential, hospitality, workspace and leisure offerings.”
Gary Neville on site at the St Michael’s Development launch, Manchester. Credit: leeboswellphotography.comGary Neville on site at the St Michael’s Development launch, Manchester. Credit: leeboswellphotography.com
credit: leeboswellphotography.com
Councillor Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “St Michael’s will be a defining regeneration project for our city centre. Following a long road to bring this challenging, long underused site forward, it’s a welcome milestone that construction will start over the summer on a new icon of our city’s skyline – and the latest destination neighbourhood for Manchester – supporting the city’s growth and creating employment opportunities.”
Neil Black, Manchester Office Head at Pinsent Masons, said: “Manchester is an important market for legal and professional services serving as a hub for investment and development across the North West region. As a multinational business collaborating with a range of domestic and global clients, it’s exciting to see the region thrive as a leading UK business centre. Our move into St Michael’s signals an important era for us as we continue to develop and invest in our people, clients and communities across the region.”
Keith Feeny, Director of IT and Operations at Hill Dickinson, said: “We are delighted to be among the first commercial tenants to sign up to phase one of this remarkable new development. Our decision to invest in St Michael’s represents our commitment to the continued growth of Hill Dickinson, our commitment to the wider cultural investment in Manchester as a city and a real desire to improve the sustainability of our operations. We believe this project will help us deliver on all three.”
Inside One Port Street, the luxury new skyscraper that’s the tallest building in the Northern Quarter
Daisy Jackson
Manchester has a new luxury skyscraper, and while we’ve become pretty accustomed to seeing this pop up by now, this one’s a little different – because it’s in the Northern Quarter.
The city’s creative heartland has a new tallest building, a whopping 32-storey giant that’s home to features like a swimming and spa pool, skyline views, a state-of-the-art gym, and plenty more too.
It might sound like a new luxury hotel – but it’s actually a building that’s bringing hundreds of brand-new homes to the northern side of the city centre.
One Port Street is now open, and is the first premium residential community to open in the Northern Quarter.
Select Property’s £195m flagship development has 477 premium open-plan apartments, plus some awe-inspiring amenities for those who like the finer things in life (but don’t want to live in Deansgate Square).
Those features include a 2000 square foot swimming and spa pool that looks like a James Bond lair, with integrated changing rooms, as well as a huge state-of-the-art gym that’s free for residences, which has TWO yoga and barre studios.
You’re greeted at the entrance to the building with a 360-degree fire pit, with cosy co-working spaces and a hidden ‘Hideout’ room, which has its own projector.
The 360-degree firepitThe ‘Hideout’The One Port Street gym
There’s outside space too, including a landscaped garden and 22,000 sq ft of new public realm.
Going up to the seventh floor, you’ll find the Panganini’s resident lounge and roof terrace, named after a historic tavern that once stood nearby, with an exclusive dining room and more space for work from home days.
From open-plan apartment to communal spaces, you’ll spot artwork from independent artists and luxury finishes.
The apartments themselves have open plan layouts and the highest specification fixtures and fitting, all styled by Select Property’s in-house design team.
The huge new landmark is on Port Street, right on the doorstep of the Northern Quarter’s many bars, restaurants, gig venues, and businesses, and a short walk from Manchester Piccadilly.
One Port Street apartmentsOne Port Street apartments
Launching alongside the opening of the building is the One Port St Collective, a residents’ programme with a dedicated resident app, that gets members exclusive access to One Port St partners and curated discounts.
Adam Price, CEO, at Select Property, said: “One Port St is a major landmark for the city of Manchester, representing everything we believe modern residential living should be: design-led, community-minded and deeply connected to its surroundings and local heritage.
“One Port St is about redefining what modern rental living can be. It’s not just about beautiful apartments – it’s about how people live, connect and experience the city around them. Positioned at the gateway to the Northern Quarter, this is a place shaped by its surroundings and designed for modern city life.
“The Northern Quarter has long been the heart of Manchester’s creativity and culture, and One Port St celebrates that identity and brings something totally new to the area. With apartments now open and available to rent, and residents moving in, this is a big milestone for us and a proud moment for our entire team.”
Panganini’s resident lounge and roof terrace
Ian Simpson, Co-founding Partner, SimpsonHaugh added: “One Port St presented an opportunity to elevate residential provision in one of Manchester’s most characterful districts, creating a design that mediates between the Northern Quarter and the wider city.
“Our ambition was to create a building that respects and responds to the Northern Quarter’s rich industrial heritage. The result is an elegant landmark development that combines considered design, outstanding amenities, and enhanced public realm to form a welcoming and connected place to live, visit and enjoy.
“We’re proud to see the building now open and becoming part of the evolving story of this iconic neighbourhood.”
The building is officially open with apartments now available to rent – you can find out more HERE.
The Northern Quarter has never been fancier – One Port Street apartments are ready and waiting for you
The new and improved Station Hotel is looking to become the undisputed home of sport in Alty
Danny Jones
The Station Hotel is no new name on the lips of Altrincham natives or those in and around Greater Manchester; chances are, plenty of you have either been or at least seen the late 19th-century pub after getting off the tram around the corner, but it’s been reborn following major renovations.
Not satisfied with a simple lick of paint or a new menu, Alty’s beloved Station looks, by and large, totally brand new, from the bar itself and every single piece of tiled floor to the brand new sports space.
There’s not only a shiny new glow coming from the soft-lit remodel; there’s now an added sense of warmth to The Station, and they’re looking to extend that welcoming feel not just to locals but the wider sporting community as well.
Having already been a go-to pre- and post-match pint spot for Manchester Storm and Alty FC, both of whom are seeing a huge surge in popularity of late, the team are looking to capitalise on those crowds and go one further.
As for catering to that audience, there’s no better example than the dedicated sports room, where, besides several of a dozen total screens, there are two fresh and premium standard pool tables, as well as one of the best examples of pub sports we’ve come across, maybe ever.
If you’re wondering what we’re on about, they’ve got actual interactive darts that don’t just give you some nice visuals, but that can be played head-to-head, against bots (yes, you can set the computer difficulty) and even online.
How does that work? Well, thanks to a built-in function on the display, you can literally face off against another player somewhere else in real-time.
So, say you happen to be throwing a few arrows in The Station comes the weekend, another punter happens to be at the oche in another Blind Tiger Inns venue – The Grosvenor over on Oxford Road in Manchester city centre, for instance – you can challenge them to a number of different games digitally.
Very cool.
Better still, the darts and the pool are completely free to use Monday to Friday right up until 7pm, and a mere £1.50 at the weekend. No wonder they had a busy opening night.
And then there’s all the deals on drinks: two for £12 on spritzes, £14 bottles of prosecco throughout the week until that same cut-off time, as well as £4 beers and large glasses of wine for as little as £6.
Be rude not to for those prices…
We especially love how the section of the pub where the old pool table and single darts board used to live is no longer the cold, almost cut-off section of the pub that used to be – it’s now one of the cosiest and most colourful parts, with a 360-padded seat, bright new mural, and one that opens out onto
Arguably the best bit, though, is one we’ll have to wait to see in its full glory just yet: the transformed patio area, with wall-to-wall bi-folding doors that will no doubt prove perfect for the summer and for when the World Cup rolls around.
Blind Tiger have, rather fittingly, played an absolute blinder with this one, and we expect the place to start a whole new chapter and fresh new reputation.
See you for a few scoops before a Storm game soon!
Daisy Jackson -
5th July 2023 
