Manchester government hub hits key construction landmark

A new government hub in Manchester city centre has hit a key construction landmark as its developers are poised to announce who will win the tender for the next stage of work.

The Government Property Agency (GPA) is set to open a hub in First Street that will house 2,600 civil servants from departments including the Department for Business and Trade (DBT), OFSTED and the Department for Education (DfE). Once the building is operational, more than 150 roles will be relocated to the city from several different government departments and agencies.

Now the GPA has accepted the handover of the building after it reached practical completion of its Category A fit out. The works were completed by BAM Construct UK, on behalf of developer Ask Real Estate, and mean the nine-storey building is now ready for the internal fit-out to commence.

The GPA says it has completed a competitive tender process for the subsequent fit-out works and that an announcement is due “in the next few weeks”.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office, Georgia Gould, said: “It’s great to see the Manchester First Street Hub move onto this next stage of construction.

“UK Government Hubs across the country help to consolidate our estate. Not only cutting waste by removing old inefficient buildings from our portfolio, but also giving people across the country the chance to work in the Civil Service, and driving economic growth in the local area.”

Georgina Dunn, the GPA’s interim director of capital projects, said: “It’s very gratifying to reach this significant stage in the programme. This new state-of-the-art office will provide a home for civil servants from across the government in Manchester, making it one of the largest hubs for cross-departmental collaboration and operation outside London. The GPA remains immensely proud of the industry-leading sustainability, accessibility and workplace standards delivered by the Government Hubs Programme.”

John Hughes, managing director at Ask Real Estate, said: “Bringing the GPA hub to practical completion is a huge testament to our commitment to driving sustainability in the workplace sector. Achieving a NABERS 5.5 Design for Performance rating – the first building in Manchester City Centre to reach this milestone – supports the high ambitions set by HM Government.

“First Street and its extended neighbourhood will be boosted significantly when the GPA takes occupation.

Lead developer Ask Real Estate and its joint venture partner, Richardson, secured a full pre-let of the building to the GPA which then signed a lease with building owners PIC in 2022.

The £105m development was forward-funded by Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC). Its head of real estate origination, James Agar, said: “We are delighted to have reached practical completion on such an important project for PIC. The First Street hub is a great example of what can be achieved through public private partnerships.

“The sustainability and ESG focus of this best-in-class building are clear to see, these were a key element of our investment case for the asset which will help us to pay the pensions of our policy holders.

“The building deepens our relationship with the GPA and will assist the UK Government in delivering the transition to Net Zero. We look forward to the GPA taking formal occupation of the building and welcoming more than 2,500 civil servants to the site.”