Former Co-op HQ at NOMA Manchester set for hotel and restaurant conversion
The former headquarters of The Co-operative Group in the NOMA neighbourhood in Manchester could be transformed into a hotel and restaurant under new proposals.
NOMA has unveiled plans to transform the Grade II-listed New Century House into an upscale 196-room hotel, complete with a rooftop terrace bar and restaurant. Conference and leisure facilities would also be created at basement level.
The proposed hotel would offer guests access to the city centre’s prime retail and office core, with the 23,000-capacity AO Arena within a five minutes’ walk. The site would also be in close proximity to Victoria Station and Shudehill transport interchange.
The 14-storey building of 1960s Modernist design was constructed for the Co-operative Insurance Society before becoming the headquarters of the wider Co-operative Group.
The NOMA neighbourhood is home to a number of leading businesses including Amazon, The Co-operative Group, athleisure brand Adanola, Material Source, and Arcadis IBI Group. Global financial services group BNY (Bank of New York Mellon) recently announced that it is relocating its 2,000-strong Manchester team to 4 Angel Square, where it is letting the entire 200,000 sq ft building.
The proposed hotel will look to complement the existing neighbourhood next door to New Century Hall, the refurbished music venue and food hall, and the DBS Institute, which offers music technology and games design courses to degree and postgraduate level.
MEPC, the development and asset manager for the NOMA estate, is working with hotel and leisure specialist practice Jenics to secure a hotel partner, ahead of a formal proposal being submitted to Manchester City Council in the coming months.
Dan Hyde, development director at MEPC, said: “New Century House is a Manchester landmark and we believe now is the right time to bring it back to life as a hotel. It’s a natural next step for our growing neighbourhood with the building located either side of BNY at 4 Angel Square and the destination venue of New Century Hall.”
Jeremy Collins of Jenics added: “Manchester has huge international visitor pull thanks to its global connectivity, world-leading universities and sporting and cultural assets. New Century House is a rare and outstanding opportunity and will be a tremendous addition to Manchester’s visitor economy offer, both from a business and leisure perspective.
“NOMA has adopted a flexible approach to secure a ‘best fit’ occupier by way of either a virtual freehold sale or lease disposal. This approach will drive positive interest from a range of operators.”