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There’s a massive building boom going on in this old industrial heartland with new homes, a new canal basin, new park and at some point a new tram link.
The towers of Islington Wharf are already rising out of the ground, work has started on Urban Splash’s Chips building, Taylor Woodrow Bryant are launching Botanic and now on the other side of the Canal bank the diggers are breaking ground for the City Lofts development Milliners Wharf.
It takes its name from the old hat factory that used to be on the site and is the firm’s fourth big scheme in the city. Their first, Vantage Quay at Piccadilly, had people camped out overnight to be first to buy, and sales and marketing director Andy Hurst said: “We are not afraid of competition. In fact, this level of building confirms that this is a great location.
“Our hallmark is a cool, contemporary design that creates clean, uncluttered living spaces that stand the test of time.
“We are committed to urban revival and take care that the architecture is sympathetic to the immediate surroundings and make a real contribution.”
Personally, I am not that excited about the exterior, a long uniform nine storey block of 261 apartments, but City Lofts do do interiors very well indeed.
They have taken out the lobby area to give more living space and while the marketing suite is not an exact replica of an apartment, it shows that the look is going to be very classy with hardwood floors, very well finished high gloss kitchens and just about the best bathrooms in town at the moment.
Two-bed apartment
Prices range from £136,000 for a 376sq ft studio, £147,000 for a one-bed, £187,000 for a two-bed apartment and £251,000 for a three-bedder, some of which go up to 971sq ft.
It’s going to be 2009 before the first ones are complete and because of that they are initially targeting investors, who are prepared to stake their money on the quality of the scheme and the potential of the area and 25 per cent of the first phase has already sold.
They are also offering furniture packs, which at £5,500 are not the cheapest in town but putting in top quality items keeps up the standard of the whole development.
Like other developers, City Lofts now take on the letting and management of apartments bought by investors through their Vivacity arm, and Hurst said: “When you have built a great building in a great location you have to look after it and everyone appreciates that, be they landlords, tenants or owner occupiers. Ancoats and the whole of New East Manchester is a phenomenon and there is massive interest in this area.
“In a few years’ time it will be a whole new community, just a mile from the city centre with its own unique feel.
“A year or two ago the Manchester market had a little pause but now demand is back as strong as ever.”
More information call Knight Frank on 0161 8775955 or visit citylofts.co.uk.
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