Construction underway on Gary Neville's controversial £400 million St Michael's development

Credit: St Michael's

A controversial £400 million pound development in Manchester City Centre, headed up by Gary Neville will open next year, with building already underway.

St Michael's will be built on site of the city's former police station between Bootle Street and Deansgate, and will house offices, a hotel and leisure spaces.

Developers say it'll bring a £120 million investment to the city, creating more than 3,000 jobs in the process.

No.1 St Michael’s is expected to be the first fully Net Zero Carbon commercial development in the city.

Credit: St Michael's

A 41-storey tower that will be home to a 162-bed five star hotel, plus 217 luxury residences, is expected to open in 2027.

First announced in 2016, the project received criticism from Historic England, who expressed concerns over the impact on Manchester's skyline and nearby buildings.

There were also concerns about the nearby Sir Ralph Abercrombie pub, but its future is thought to be secured, with an adjoining public square.

  • Developers have a released a fly-through of the St Michael's site.

Former footballer turned developer Gary Neville said: “This is an extraordinary scheme that has been no less than 15 years in the making and we believe it to be the most sustainable commercial space in the city. I’d like to thank all our partners who have been with me on this journey and remained committed to the vision to transform this pivotal area of the city into a global landmark.

“We’ve worked so hard to create a development that is distinctive in both its imaginative design and heritage as well as its location connecting the city’s business district with the historic civic quarter. Signing a deal with two of the world’s most reputable law firms and setting a new headline rent as we launch is testament to that.

“Progress is now beginning to accelerate as we approach the latter stages of No.1 and we set our sights on the world-class leisure and residential elements that will be delivered for No.2.”

Gary Neville says the project has taken 15 years to come to fruition

Councillor Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: "St Michael’s will be a defining regeneration project for our city centre. Following a long road to bring this challenging, long underused site forward, it's a welcome milestone that construction will start over the summer on a new icon of our city’s skyline – and the latest destination neighbourhood for Manchester – supporting the city’s growth and creating employment opportunities.”