Rooftop terrace, yoga space and an open-air cinema – how one Irish developer plans to transform a former brewery
Life & Style

Rooftop terrace, yoga space and an open-air cinema – how one Irish developer plans to transform a former brewery

A DUBLIN developer has unveiled plans to transform the former site of the Boddingtons Brewery in Manchester.

The £175m scheme will see Prosperity Capital Partners create a landmark Build to Rent (BTR) development at the site opposite Manchester Arena in the centre of the city.

The award-winning Dublin developer has a combined portfolio and pipeline of nearly £100 million worth of purpose-built student accommodation and their BTR scheme has been designed by award-winning practice AssaelArchitecture.

The 556-home mixed-use development in central Manchester, which will be named Old Brewery Gardens, is part of a residential-led regeneration on the site of the former Boddingtons Brewery, opposite the Manchester Arena.

An artist's impression of how the development will look

It will transform the existing site from a surface car park into a hive of activity, with a mix of ground floor retail outlets existing alongside a range of amenities for residents.

The developers explain: "The buildings will be clustered around a communal garden at the heart of the scheme.

"Other amenities will include a gym, residents’ lounges, rooftop terraces and a large, central communal garden, which will be used as an open-air cinema and an outdoor yoga studio.

"The development will also include 40,000 square foot of retail and commercial space that will drive further investment and job creation into Manchester’s economy, as well as creating a new retail district for the wider community."

Out of the 556 homes, 181 will be for sale and the remaining 375 for rent.

Gavin Barry, chief executive of Prosperity Capital Partners, said: “We are delighted to be delivering a landmark scheme in central Manchester that will be accessibly priced with a range of exciting amenities for renters. Driving growth in the UK and Ireland’s regions requires high quality housing, which Old Brewery Gardens will undoubtedly deliver.”

He added: “This development is testimony to what build to rent can do across Britain and Ireland, supporting inward investment by providing high-quality homes for families and professionals alike. The proliferation of this asset class will significantly increase housing delivery in cities and regions where there is a severe undersupply.”

Prosperity Capital Partners is an investment and development business with plans to deliver more than 10,000 new homes over the next decade across the UK and Ireland.

The developer is currently pursuing a variety of opportunities in Dublin, where they see significant scope for BTR to help address the city’s housing shortfall.