Member Article

CEO Knott steps down from Ask Development

Manchester property development company Ask Developments has appointed a new chief executive officer.

Ken Knott, one of the firm’s co-founders, has stepped down, to be succeeded with immediate effect by another shareholder, John Hughes, who has been development director at Ask for over ten years. Mr Hughes was made a board director in 2008.

Mr Knott’s exit from the business is reported to be “totally amicable” and he will remain as a shareholder.

Ask is involved in several key projects across Greater Manchester, including the £90m First Street North project and the Central Park business complex.

Mr Hughes will continue to lead the Ask team on the First Street project, which has a development value of £500m.

The Manchester gateway site is the location of the new £25m HOME cultural centre for Manchester City Council. Construction activity is under way and the venue is due to open in spring 2015.

This development will also include a 208-bed 4-star Melia Innside hotel, 30,000 sq ft of retail, leisure, and restaurant space in 8-10 units, 279 luxury VITA apartments aimed at international students and a 700 space multi-storey car park managed by Q-Park.

Mr Hughes has also been responsible for securing Ask’s Greengate Embankment joint venture with Network Rail and Salford City Council, where construction is scheduled to commence in early 2014.

The company’s portfolio includes the Manchester business park Central Park, the acclaimed leisure scheme Leopold Square in Sheffield, the Eden Square shopping centre in Urmston and Knowsley Place in Bury.

John Hughes said:“Ken leaves with our best wishes, and I am sure we will work together in the future.

“It is an exciting opportunity for me to drive the company forward through its next phase of development. We have a highly capable team and I am looking forward to leading Ask in this rapidly changing market-place. Our projects are very well positioned to take advantage of the positive occupier and investor sentiment toward the Manchester city region.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Simon Malia .