Property above Manchester Pret A Manger transformed into 27 “eco-friendly” homes

A four-level property above a Pret A Manger café in central Manchester has come to market after being transformed into 27 apartments.

The owners of 25 Cross Street, Manchester-based property developer Beech Holdings, turned the 7,000 sq ft space into a mix of eco-friendly studio apartments and one- and two-bedroom homes.

The four floors had been mostly empty for more than 10 years, according to Beech boss Stephen Beech, who said a number of letting agents tried and failed to deliver due to the site’s poor condition.

He said: “Many people know this building as a Pret A Manger.But above is a beautiful building which always had great potential.

“After buying it last year more than 70 workers have worked hard to bring it back to life and transform the interior.”

Stephen is the owner of a £40m Greater Manchester housing portfolio that includes 15 buildings in the city centre.

Speaking further, he said: “25 Cross Street will now be a community where neighbours become friends, as only like-minded individuals will be living there, carefully hand-selected by the in-house lettings team.

“It’s fully let and we are proud of not only owning this building, but managing it for the foreseeable future. There’ll be a permanent concierge and we’ve committed to a 25-year loan with Lloyds Bank on 25 Cross Street.”

Stephen added: “Developing for long-term retention can only improve the overall quality of the building. It’s very eco-friendly and located in the thriving heart of Manchester city centre.”

Beech, which recently pledged to use British steel on all future projects in light of the ongoing crisis plaguing the industry, has a development pipeline worth £100m.

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