I started my own journey in Recruitment With Hays Montrose back in 1998. My daily commute was past this amazing building and it is most definitely one of my favourite in town; I think it’s up there with some of Manchester’s finest buildings. It will finally have some life put back into the building having stood empty for so long.

Allied London bought the building from Britannia in 2015, and work will commence on site in September, with anchor tenants now said to be in place.

A management company for the Fire Station was set up in April this year at Companies House, with Ingall listed as a director alongside Suresh Gorasia, Allied London’s chief operating officer; corporate director Jonathan Raine; and financial director Freddie Graham-Watson. Similarly, an operating company was set up in January with the same four directors.

Plans for the site, designed by architect Levitt Bernstein, include a 91-bed hotel, bars, restaurants, workspace, and 21 live-work units, with new build extensions also part of the proposals. Extensions will take the gross internal floorspace at the building from 144,400 sq ft to 172,100 sq ft.

A new hotel wing will sit in front of the existing London Road courtyard elevation, with the original façade becoming one side of a corridor connecting the two.

Zetter Hotels, which operates boutique hotels in London, was previously lined up as operator for this part of the development in 2016.

Meanwhile, in the Fairfield Street wing, the old firemen’s flats will be adapted to create workspaces and apartments, retaining original detailing where possible. A new pavilion in the central courtyard will provide access to an underground bar and event space. A main contractor appointment is expected soon.

Source: Place North West.