Manchester City Council to create digital and creative hub with £5.3m investment

Manchester City Council’s Executive has greenlit £5.3m in funding to transform part of the Central Park business site into a new hub for creative and digital enterprises.

The council, which acquired 10-year-old One Central Park in 2014, will remodel the building in the stripped-down design style seen at city business hubs like The Sharp Project.

The work will aim to provide a home for companies unable to secure place at The Sharp Project due to its popularity.

The makeover will see One Central Park’s existing offices and meeting rooms reconfigured to improve flexibility and promote innovation. Further, new ground-floor space with glazed walls and exposed ceilings will be created, transforming it into an internal plaza for networking, entertainment and hot desking.

The site will also feature an open-air courtyard with a transparent roof and a ‘green’ wall incorporating internal balconies, giving offices open access to the plaza.

Sir Richard Leese, the leader of Manchester City Council, commented: “One Central Park is an important asset for the development of the digital sector in Manchester and this work will enhance our competitive position and make the building fit for purpose and a more attractive proposition within the digital sector.

“The remodeling of the building will better serve the needs of the type of companies it is aimed at, and establish a vibrant creative community with space to network and collaborate.

He continued: “The investment will not only attract more digital businesses to consider One Central Park as a base, but it will act as a catalyst for further development opportunities across the whole of Central Park.”

The refurb is expected to get underway next summer, with completion due in mid-2018.

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