GRE Assets’ Manchester project, One Smithfield Square, sits just half a mile from one of the largest property development projects in Manchester. It received planning approval in late October.
The former Central Retail Park, demolished earlier in 2019, is now due to become a vast mixed-use development with a combination of commercial and residential space. The project is a joint venture between Manchester City Council and the Abu Dhabi United Group (ADUG) which owns Manchester City Football Club, the reigning Premier League champions.
The partners acquired the site in November 2017, and demolition of the Central Retail Park began in 2018, making way for one of the largest new developments in the city centre.
Earlier in 2019, Paul Butler Associates submitted a planning application to change the use of part of the plot, so that it could become a public car park with 440 spaces.
A two year planning period was agreed during the approval process, ending in October 2021, as the development partners and the city council planning department seek to bring the scheme forward, part of a wider regeneration plan for north east Manchester.
