Manchester City Council green lights Neptune Mill redevelopment
Plans to redevelop Neptune Mill in Manchester’s Piccadilly East neighbourhood have been given the go-ahead by councillors.
The project will see the 22,000 sq ft red brick building converted to accommodate four floors of office space as well as a commercial area on the ground floor.
Developer Capital & Centric is looking for operators to take spaces within the ground floor which complement the workspace above, such as a coffee bar, deli or general store. The development will also see the creation of a social hub alongside the commercial space.
Work could now begin on the Chapeltown Street development by the end of the year, with the first workspaces expected to be available by late 2024. One of the office floors will be reserved for Capital & Centric’s expanding team.
The site is located a walking distance from the proposed new HS2 terminal, and so may prove an attractive destination for businesses. Prospective tenants will be able to apply for space in early 2024, with expressions of interest open now.
Tom Wilmot, managing director of Capital & Centric, said: “As the city expands, enterprises are always on the hunt for the next stunning workspace that will inspire creativity and foster new ideas. We’re delivering that with Neptune Mill, creating the next chapter in the historic building’s story. We believe in the project so much, we’re even planning to base our own team there as part of our new HQ.”
The redevelopment of the 19th century building forms part of the wider regeneration of Piccadilly East. Neptune Mill sits next to Capital & Centric’s previous owner occupier communities Crusader and Phoenix.
The developer’s arrival into Piccadilly East in 2017 helped catalyse development in the area, with Capital & Centric since delivered the nearby ‘jenga’ Leonardo Hotel on Great Ancoats Street, while other residential developments are now being constructed.
Wilmot added: “We’ve always been massive champions of Manchester’s Piccadilly East, having delivered new hotel rooms for visitors and homes for those putting down permanent roots in the city. This is the next, exciting step for the neighbourhood, bringing in businesses and creating groundfloor spaces that the community can patronise.
“We’re hoping to move pretty quickly and be on site with the restoration by the end of the year.”