Plans to build a huge skyscraper of student accommodation have been approved, with the existing Deansgate Locks Premier Inn on the site demolished.
The plans were first submitted in November 2022, replacing the hotel on Medlock Street with a 38-storey building that will provide rooms for 1014 students.
Also in the plans is a 13-storey office building, providing 36,000 sq m of Grade A office space.
The proposal includes a new piece of artwork which is nine storeys tall, the artist behind which will be chosen through a competition.
Whitbread, the company behind Premier Inn Hotels, is working with property developers Dominvs Group on the huge development.
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They say they also plan to include three new public spaces – ‘The Wood’, which will resemble native UK woodland; ‘Rain Garden’, which will manage rain in a ‘playful and sustainable way’; and ‘Edge Street’, which will be a new green street with trees and ornamental plants.
They say: “Whitbread and Dominvs Group are bringing forward proposal at One Medlock Street that will contribute to the ongoing transformation at First Street, supporting a vibrant growing community, making an attractive and sustainable setting for work, living and study.
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“At street level the scheme opens the site up, creating activity to enhance the pedestrian experience through a series of high-quality street and a new public realm.
“The proposed scheme is a mixed-use, office and purpose-build student accommodation scheme.
“As part of the current proposals, the Premier Inn building would be demolished and redeveloped.”
Featured image: Whitbread / Dominvs
Property
Major up-and-coming Manchester neighbourhood to debut Shared Ownership apartments
Daisy Jackson
A brand-new development that’s part of Manchester’s ground-breaking Redbank regeneration is welcoming guests to discover more about the new neighbourhood.
L&Q at Victoria Riverside, who have just launched a collection of Shared Ownership apartments, will be hosting a special day of tours so that Mancs can find out more about this major new development for the city.
Once complete, L&Q Victoria Riverside will be home to an 18-storey building with 128 Shared Ownership homes, at the heart of the up-and-coming Redbank neighbourhood.
Over the next decade, Redbank – just a short walk from Manchester Victoria station – will become a bustling corner of the city home to new schools, healthcare facilities, restaurants, and bars.
And all just a stone’s throw from public transport links, Manchester Arndale shopping centre, and the iconic Northern Quarter.
L&Q at Victoria Riverside marks the first phase of Victoria North, which is the biggest urban regeneration project in the North of England.
Within the development, residents will have access to an on-site co-working space, podium gardens, gym and concierge service.
L&Q at Victoria Riverside in Redbank. Credit: Supplied
Mancs will be able to get a glimpse of everything that’s to come with an exclusive preview day of tours and conversations with the L&Q sales team on 25 October.
The event will welcome customers who have registered interest to chat about their property search, and take tours of the brand new show home.
Shared Ownership is a government-backed scheme that helps first-time buyers afford to get on the property ladder. Through part-buy/part-rent, buyers purchase shares in a Shared Ownership property that would otherwise be unaffordable to them.
The sales team will be available to provide more information about Shared Ownership on the day.
Find out more about L&Q at Victoria Riverside HERE.
The L&Q at Victoria Riverside event will take place between 11am and 4pm on Saturday 25 October at Dantzic Street, M4 4DN – you can sign up for free tickets HERE.
And you can find out more about L&Q Shared Ownership via Instagram HERE.
A massive bowling, games and entertainment bar is coming to Manchester next year
Danny Jones
A popular bowling and table games bar that has already proved a hit in Liverpool is coming to Manchester for the very first time next year.
If you’re from the North West, PINS Social Club may not be a new name to you; nevertheless, this will be its Manc debut, with the location not only their first beyond Merseyside but just their second site to date.
As the name would suggest, PINS is primarily about bowling and socialising, but there is plenty more going on at this social club as you’ll find out soon enough.
Scheduled to open in late spring 2026, Manchester and our nearby neighbours in Liverpool are about to strike up a firm party partnership.
CGIs of PINS Social Club Manchester (Credit: Supplied)
Selecting the shifting face of Sunlight House for the space – already home to the likes of Schofield’s Bar – the 25,000 sq ft unit will span three whole floors, offering a next-generation social and entertainment experience in one of Manchester’s most stunning buildings.
A Grade II-listed, Art Deco structure, Sunlight House is undergoing a major £35 million refurbishment, with ‘grade A’ offices set to take up a significant chunk, but it’s soon set to house the latest PINS venue.
Sitting on Quay Street, just off the main Deansgate strip, the busy Peter St corner, and adjacent to Spinningfields, PINS Manchester is springing up right in the midst of arguably the city’s busiest stretches for nightlife.
Promising not only bowling, darts, and table games like pool, shuffleboard and beer pong, but karaoke, live music and all the biggest sporting events on the box, PINS Social Club really does aim to be a one-stop shop for all your needs on a night out.
For instance, their food offerings will run all the way from breakfast through to the late evening, and PINS Manchester is also set to feature a main stage on the ground floor for “electric half-time shows”, with the gaming mezzanine looming just above.
Not only is this going to be PINS’ biggest venue yet, but it’s well and truly on track to be one of the biggest hospitality openings coming in the next 12 months.
Headed up by MD Daniel Kelly, who has also been helping run the resurrected Almost Famous brand here in Manchester, the team knows all about this city. Speaking on the announcement, Kelly said: “Manchester is a city that thrives on energy, culture, and community – everything that PINS is about.
“This new venue will be our biggest yet, offering a bold and exciting social space that’s purpose-built for entertainment, competition, and ultimately, having a great time. We can’t wait to bring our concept to Manchester’s incredible social scene. Keep an eye out for more details coming soon.”
Julien Buronfosse, Managing Director at Karrev (the estate company who have leased the building to the business) added: “The PINS offering is diverse, dynamic and will provide tenants and the local community with an unparalleled leisure experience.
“We wanted to work with an operator that understood our vision of breathing new life into a historic building, contributing to the new era that Sunlight House is entering. The building has ambitions to be much more than Grade A office space, with a specific emphasis on community building. The addition of PINS to Sunlight House will contribute greatly to that.”
Consider us here at The Manc GroupVERY excited for this one.
As you can see, they’ve got plenty of room to work with. (Credit: Calmafftaylor via Wikimedia Commons)
Daisy Jackson -
2nd June 2023 
