Whitbread and Dominvs JV for Manchester student accommodation scheme

 rpbi-openings.co.uk, 11 December 2022

Whitbread and Dominvs Group are working on a JV for a mixed-use 1,014-bed purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) development at One Medlock Street in Manchester.

The scheme, located on the Deansgate Premier Inn site, close to the University of Manchester and Manchester Metropolitan University campuses, will see the development of two new buildings providing PBSA space spanning around 37 floors, as well as a 13-plus-floor commercial office building.

Plans for the office building, which will adjoin the PBSA site, include around 387,500 sq ft of office space and will provide external amenity spaces on each floor. Once completed, the scheme aims to provide space for 2,200 office jobs. Timescales and funding details have not been disclosed.

Jay Ahluwalia, principal director at Dominvs Group, said: “We’ve worked in partnership with Whitbread to create a mixed-use scheme that will provide an attractive, sustainable and well-connected hub for work, study and living in a huge boost to Manchester’s Southern Gateway.

“After careful consultation with the wider community, we are pleased to submit this application to Manchester City Council to serve the needs of the community in the First Street area and the wider city at large.”

Richard Pearson, senior development manager at Whitbread, commented: “Manchester is one of the most popular locations for Premier Inn customers in the UK and we want to ensure our hotels in the city provide a consistently high standard of accommodation for our guests.

“Working with Dominvs we now have the opportunity to realise the true potential of the Medlock Street site by creating high-quality workspace and student accommodation at an important gateway to the city centre.”