Future of Kendals Secured as Plans are Given Green Light

Proposals to breathe new life into the iconic Kendal Building on Deansgate and safeguard its future were approved by Manchester City Council’s Planning Committee, with the site set to become a world class office and retail destination as early as 2024.

The ‘Kendals’ development – brought forward by the site’s owner, Investec, and designed by Manchester-based Sheppard Robson Architects – will deliver around 500,000 sq ft of Grade A office space to the city centre. This will be achieved by reviving the existing landmark Grade II Listed Kendal Building and redeveloping the multi-storey car park site to its rear.

OBI worked with Development and Project Managers MHBC and planning consultants Deloitte in securing planning permission. The development will still provide high-quality retail space on the lower floors and particularly along the high-profile Deansgate frontage, but of a scale which is sustainable and consistent with current and projected retail market demands.

Replacing the existing outdated car park will be an environmentally conscious and sustainable new office building, which has been designed to complement the Kendal Building and provide new office accommodation of exceptional quality.

The regeneration of the site will also see considerable enhancements to the surrounding streets – directly supporting Manchester City Council’s ambitions to introduce more integrated public realm, prioritise pedestrians and cyclists and reduce carbon emissions within the city centre.

Mickey Nurtman, Executive Director of Real Estate for Investec, commented: “We are pleased to see our plans for this important city centre site get the go ahead. A lot of hard work has been invested to get us to this point and we are confident the scheme will have a truly positive impact on Manchester city centre. “I’d like to thank the local community, city centre businesses and Manchester City Council for their feedback, patience and support over the last six months. We are proud to be leading on a scheme that celebrates the Kendal Building and today’s news ensures that the development will be a focal point of Deansgate for many years to come.”

Development and Project Managers MHBC said “we are delighted to be leading this major redevelopment on behalf of Investec, which we believe will safeguard the future of the Kendal Building and the value it brings to the character and life of Manchester city centre for the long term.

Will Lewis of OBI added “this is a major new workspace development for the city and will provide the perfect mix of re-purposed Grade A space within the period façade of the Kendal Building and an impressive new state of art office building. The development project will set a new benchmark for quality and sustainability in the city and deliver much needed workspace in a super prime location”.

With plans now approved, the project team is looking forward to the construction phase of the scheme and the process of appointing a construction contractor.

Once complete, the site is expected to support almost 4,000 jobs and inject over £300 million into the local economy every year – a major boost as the city begins its post pandemic recovery.