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The ‘Biggest Corpse in Manchester’ gets a New Lease of Life

The Great Northern Warehouse, an instantly recognisable part of Manchester, known for its vast infrastructure and prominent white lettering on each side of the building, pays homage to its railway roots.

Originally built in 1899 as a railway transport interchange for goods arriving by rail into the now defunct Manchester Central Station, it closed its doors in 1963 and remained empty for 50 years, before experiencing a period of redevelopment into what it stands for today.

The 6-acre slice of Central Manchester remains in the hands of Robert Wolstenholme, founder of international investors, Trilogy Property. Since Trilogy purchased the Deansgate Great Northern Goods Warehouse in 2013, speculation arose surrounding the future of the underperforming leisure scheme, once described as the ‘biggest corpse in Manchester’.

Wolstenholme described the notorious emblem at the junction of Deansgate and Peter Street as ‘useless’ and ‘a clock tower without a clock’ and passionately enforced an immediate renovation of significant scale, historic and strategic importance, covering 4.5 hectares of the city.

Backed by Far Eastern investors Peterson Group, the 10-year redevelopment plan costing £300 million aims to restore the lifeless building whose fabric has been ‘under-valued and poorly maintained over a number of years’, whilst fulfilling plans to enhance Great Northern Square and Deansgate Terrace.

The planning report states,

“It does not make best use of its historic assets, which are in urgent need of repair, or fulfil the potential of its public realm or commercial floor space.

Proposed plans for Deansgate Terrace are new commercial units and 24 luxury apartments whilst Great Northern Square would experience a complete restructure.

The vision is for an increase in public space by more than 25% to 84,497 sq. ft. and designers have placed prominence on proposing new pedestrian routes and ease of access for urban professionals. Due to the advancements in infrastructure, a number of jobs will be created during construction and upon completion, offering a wealth of opportunity for citizens nearby.

25,000 sq. ft. of shops along the Deansgate frontage are to be refurbished and new apartments to be constructed on the upper floors. New trees will be planted in a bid to encourage a sustainable area as part of a long-term plan to ‘green up’ Peter Street Piazza. The piazza will experience a reshape to accommodate for a new road, Dean Street, running parallel to Deansgate, hosting a plethora of independent cafes, restaurants and bars.

According to the planning report,

“The current configuration of the site is poorly connected into the wider city centre, creating a lack of legibility or sense of place.

“The complex could make a much fuller contribution to the city centre and the comprehensive long-term strategy for the site would secure its future and create a high quality, distinctive destination for Manchester”.

RWinvest, are reaping the benefits of Manchester’s emerging presence on the property scene. Multiple regeneration projects around the city are strengthening the desire to live in Manchester’s property hotspots and are increasingly accommodating business professionals interested in city living.

Whilst staying loyal to its industrial heritage, the revitalised Great Northern Warehouse celebrates and respects the buildings original unique character and the Grade II Victorian gem in the heart of Manchester plans to breath a new lease of life into a part of the city that has been somewhat neglected.

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