- SRF will inform all forthcoming plans to be submitted by joint venture partners, Bruntwood SciTech and The University of Manchester.
- Framework sets out how £1.7bn investment will prioritise sustainability, inclusivity, diversity and creativity in new city centre innovation district.
- It is estimated ID Manchester will drive £900m GVA annually for Manchester
A strategic regeneration framework (SRF) for The University of Manchester’s former North Campus has been put forward to Manchester City Council, outlining the future of the trailblazing new, £1.7bn city centre district, ID Manchester, by its joint venture (JV) partners, Bruntwood SciTech and The University of Manchester.
The framework sets out a vision for ID Manchester to be recognised internationally as one of the world’s leading applied innovation districts providing unique access to disruptive technologies and ideas. Its core specialisms will be centred around advanced materials, health innovation, digital technology and biotech.
The completed development is set to create over 10,000 new jobs and deliver education, apprenticeship and training opportunities for local communities. The illustrative masterplan totals over 4 million sq ft, with the potential to accommodate over 2 million sq ft of commercial and retail space, and over 1,500 homes. It will breathe new life into key heritage assets on-site, such as the Sackville Street and Renold buildings and Vimto Park, and adopt a “living landscape” approach to the district’s nine acres of public realm, enhancing existing green spaces, reconnecting communities with nature and improving urban biodiversity by at least 10%. Once complete, ID Manchester will bring significant economic, social and environmental benefits to the city, and contribute circa £900m GVA annually.
In a prime central location next to Piccadilly Railway Station, ID Manchester will benefit from its unique position adjacent to the University’s pioneering research facilities, the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre and the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, and within the innovation ecosystem clustered around the Oxford Road Corridor, including Circle Square, Citylabs and Manchester Science Park – all of which are part of the Bruntwood SciTech network.
ID Manchester will become a world-class innovation platform that drives inclusive and sustainable economic growth for the city by leveraging the unique experience and expertise of its joint venture partners, combining The University of Manchester’s long history of industry collaboration and world-class research strengths with Bruntwood SciTech’s experience of working in strategic partnership with city councils, universities and NHS Trusts to deliver connected science and technology infrastructure.
The University selected Bruntwood SciTech, a 50:50 joint venture between Bruntwood and Legal & General and the UK’s leading property provider dedicated to driving the growth of the science and technology sector, as its development partner in 2022 following a two-year international competition to find a partner that shared the University’s vision and had the skills, capability and track record of delivering places designed for collaboration and innovation.
