OakNorth completes its biggest ever deal with £40m investment loan

OakNorth has completed a £40.2m loan to Select Property Group, a global developer, retailer and operator of four property investment brands.

The developer will use the capital to develop two residential towers: an 18-storey building consisting of 147 residential units called Exchange Point, as well as a 16-storey building consisting of 209 residential units called Laurence Place.

The developments will be the first in Select Property’s newest brand, Origin Homes. In addition to the extensive residential units, the buildings will also provide over 14,000 sq ft of commercial space. The site lies in the heart of the Greengate regeneration area in central Manchester.

Mark Stott, founder and CEO of Select Property Group, spoke of the deal: “As the city where we’re headquartered and one where we’ve now completed several large-scale residential projects, Manchester plays a very significant role in our business and our portfolio.

“It is one of Europe’s fastest-growing cities and with the Ordsall Chord and High Speed 2, its popularity will only continue to grow. Property now sells three times as quickly here than in London which means the city is constantly in need of new homes.

“We’re therefore delighted to be bringing this development to the area and are grateful to the team at OakNorth for their support on the transaction. They had a thorough understanding of the market and came back to us on queries within hours.

“Projects of this scale typically take several months to complete, but they were able to do it in a matter of weeks.”

Select’s other brands include: Vita Student - which consists of 14 student accommodation sites, City Suites - Manchester’s only luxury serviced apartments, and Affinity Living - 500 apartments in Manchester, spread over two developments that are expected to open from Q4 2019.

Eamonn O’Rourke, property finance director at OakNorth, added: “The team at Select Property have successfully completed and sold a diverse range of projects from student accommodation to serviced apartments, totalling over £500m of GDV across the UK.

“Their experience is particularly notable in Manchester where they have an extensive portfolio and a prime position in the market.

“We’re very excited to be completing our largest deal to date with them and look forward to working with them on additional projects in the future.”