Chancellor unveils UK’s first ‘Airport City'
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, recently unveiled plans for the development of a £659million ‘Airport City’ – the first of its kind in the UK – at Manchester Airport.
Designated as one of the UK Government’s new Enterprise Zones in March 2011, the Airport City project has received a substantial amount of interest and the detailed masterplan created by Manchester Airports Group (MAG), sets out the vision to transform the airport from a transport hub into an international business destination in its own right.
Building on the global connectivity offered by the airport location, the 150-acre regeneration scheme will deliver over five-million square feet of new high-quality business premises, with the aim of attracting international companies that would not previously have located in the region, or even the UK. Becoming fully operational from April 2012, it is estimated that the wider 116-hectare Manchester Enterprise Zone will create up to 20,000 new jobs over the next 15-years. The Airport City project will be a focal point of the Manchester Enterprise Zone proposition.
The ‘stage two’ masterplan identifies the creation of two core Airport City zones. The first is a development area adjacent to the airport’s existing railway station and to north of the M56, which will focus on hotel, office, retail and advanced manufacturing uses – whilst a second area adjacent to the existing cargo centre at Junction 6 of the M56, will focus on freight and logistics uses. In total, over the next 12-15 years, Airport City will deliver:
• 1.5 million sqft of offices650,000 sq ft advanced manufacturing
• Up to 100,000 sq ft of retail and leisure
• Approximately 2,500 hotel beds
• 1.4 million sq ft of logistics and warehousing
The current stage of the masterplanning has focused on reviewing the concept for Airport City and how Manchester can interpret elements of existing Airport Cities across the world in its own unique fashion, including what it looks like, how the infrastructure works and how the development integrates with both the existing airport campus itself and surrounding neighbourhoods.
Airport City’s commercial property offering will accommodate a mix of uses and will provide bespoke, high quality environments designed to appeal to graduates, entrepreneurs, global businesses and creating a highly skilled local workforce operating in sectors including: advanced manufacturing; research & development; pharmaceuticals & health; professional services; science and research; IT and telecommunications; retail and leisure; hotel and conferencing, as well as aviation and cargo-related businesses. The architectural approach will be to create high quality, distinctive, contemporary new buildings, all designed and constructed to the highest possible BREEAM and LEED environmental standards.
Charlie Cornish, Chief Executive of Manchester Airports Group (MAG), said: “Airport City is a concept we have been developing for a number of years and we are now at a critical stage in the project’s life as we bring it to the market and commence phase one. We were enthused by the Government’s recognition of Airport City’s potential when it was named as the focal point of their new Enterprise Zone, as we feel that this project presents a generational opportunity not only for the wider region, but nationally in order to attract new investment to the UK during the economic downturn.”
Companies interested in locating at Airport City should register an interest at: www.magdevelopments.co.uk
Published: 13/01/2012
