‘Prepared to stop’: Gary Neville’s Manchester development

Gary Neville has said some home truths about his new Manchester project.

Gary Neville has a clear vision: to make Manchester one of the most desirable cities in the world.

His signature project The Stock Exchange Hotel was a clear example of this. His new £400 million St Michael’s Development is another arm to reach this vision. The project is a JV between his company Relentless and KKR. However, it’s his transparency about pausing the project which is interesting. It’s something we are going to see more developers and contractors say.

First, let’s have a deeper look at the project…

Inside the project:

• 41-storey tower.
• 217 apartments.
• 162-bedroom five-star hotel
• 2,200 new jobs.
• 700 extra jobs during construction.

The project is split into two. No.1 St Michael’s and N02.

On the job:

• Main Contractor: Bowmer & Kirkland (Phase 1)
• Main Contractor: Domis Construction (Phase 2)
• Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merill.
• Interior Designer: Bowler James Brindley
• MEP Engineer: Hoare Lea
• Civil Engineer: Curtins
• Access Consultant: Peter Connell Associates
• Wind Analyst and Façade Access Consultant: WSP

Prepared to stop

In a recent interview with BBC 5 Live, Neville, said: “What will ultimately happen, is that development will stop for a period because people won’t want to borrow money at the interest rates that are available, which is really, really bad. We have to make sure that development continues because the construction sector is one of the biggest employers in this country.”

This is difficult for any developer to say. But, it’s true, and it’s a rising trend. HS2 is a key example.

It’s been a tough process for Neville and his team. Errors in planning and demolition have come under scrutiny but his firm is determined to work with authorities to deliver this project.

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