With the BBC contract sorted for the relocation of five departments from London to Salford Quays, this week end ads are being placed in the nationals for a chief executive to head up mediacity:uk, as the initiative plans for phase two and beyond.
Now that the Beeb has inked its contract with Peel to take almost 500,000 sq ft of office and production space at mediacity:uk, the JV between Peel, Salford city council and Salford Central URC is looking at the next phases of the development.
How-Do understands that since the contract was announced, the number of enquiries about the new development, from companies and organisations both in the UK and overseas, has multiplied by a factor of several times.
These enquiries are distinct from the ongoing ITV Granada and Salford University negotiations.
ITV has said it expects to make an initial decision on what to do with its Quay Street site by the end of summer. The broadcaster employs over 1,000 staff in Manchester and its Quay Street freehold site is the most significant holding in the ITV property portfolio. The site is adjacent to Allied London’s exceptionally successful – and increasingly acquisitive – Spinningfields development.
Salford University has attracted less publicity over its intentions but there appears to be considerable impetus and enthusiasm for the University to join the Beeb at mediactiy:uk by moving its Faculty of Arts, Media and Social Sciences to a brand new site at the Quays. This would involve around 500 staff and 4,500 students and the property requirement would be for several hundred thousand sq ft of space.
Should these additional developments come to fruition, taken with the other public realm, transport and associated infrastructure requirements, phase two of the site will have moved sharply up the agenda.
The largest part of the mediacity:uk site is separated from phase one and will be connected by a new bridge.
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