Work underway to transform historic Manchester building into 45,000 sq ft creative hub

Construction work is now underway on the 45,000 sq ft Dantzic office building within Manchester’s 20-acre NOMA neighbourhood.

Building firm Russells Construction is redeveloping the Grade II-listed property into seven-floors of loft-style workspace for creative businesses.

The development is located on the corner of Dantzic Street and Hanover Street, near Manchester Victoria station.

It is one of several projects in the area for Trafford Park-based Russells.

Last spring, the company refurbished a former drapery warehouse to create The Federation, a 70,000 sq ft office complex fully let to Co-op Digital, the open community of digital businesses and innovators.

Russells is also turning the nearby Hanover House building into office accommodation. The scheme will be known as Hanover and include 18,000 sq ft of ground floor retail and leisure space.

Gareth Russell, director at Russells Construction, said: “With Hanover fully underway and Dantzic starting on-site, it has been a pleasure to bring some of Manchester’s historic buildings back into use, breathing new life into them and creating contemporary workspaces that will appeal to the legions of techies and creatives that are transforming the city’s economy.”

The Dantzic scheme is due for completion by 2019.

The wider NOMA development, set across the former Co-op estate, is wholly owned by Hermes Investment Management after the company acquired Co-op’s stake in December.

It will provide 2.5 million sq ft of office space along with residential, retail and leisure units.

Ian Cody, director for asset management at Hermes, commented: “This year will be busy for NOMA, with Dantzic starting on-site and Hanover nearing completion.

“The two buildings will provide much needed office space in Manchester city centre and will help underpin our ambition for NOMA to become the UK’s leading innovation district.”

Colliers International and JLL are NOMA’s joint letting agents.

Colliers director Peter Gallagher said: “Demand for quality office space in Manchester stands at an all-time high, but occupiers still want somewhere quirky and unique to base themselves, and period properties like Dantzic are typically very appealing.”

JLL director Ken Bishop commented: “Occupiers looking to move into Manchester’s city centre from London, the South East and other areas of the North West find buildings with personality highly appealing, so we envisage Dantzic will attract strong interest.”

Sheppard Robson is the architecture practice behind Dantzic. Workman LLP is the project manager appointed for both Dantzic and Hanover.