Twentieth Century Society condemns Make scheme backed by Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs

The Twentieth Century Society is objecting to a brace of towers planned in Manchester by Make for footballers-turned-developers Gary Neville and Ryan Giggs, describing the scheme as “shocking”.

The £140 million city centre site, originally known as Jackson’s Row but now called St Michael’s, will include a new synagogue, a five-star hotel, 153 flats and 13,000sq m of offices, plus some retail.

The towers will be 31 and 21 storeys high and will be capped by two “sky bars”.

Work will involve demolishing the Manchester Reform Synagogue, built in 1953, and Bootle Street Police Station, built in 1937.

The Society has submitted an urgent application to Historic England to have the synagogue listed.

The group’s adviser Tess Pinto said the plans were “shocking” and took the former Manchester United players to task for what was being proposed.

She said: “The plans will not only sweep away two fine C20 century buildings but will also have a devastating impact on the neighbouring conservation area. They show no consideration to Manchester’s special sense of place that one would expect from two football stars who made their careers and built their lives in the city.”

A Victorian pub, called the Abercromby, is also slated for demolition with a campaign to save it being backed by the Campaign For Real Ale and getting over 4,000 signatures.

Earlier this year, Historic England said the plans put forward by Neville and Giggs were “of great concern to us” and added: “We think that the scale and form of the plans would create a high level of harm to both the conservation of the area and the setting of the nationally important civic buildings of the town hall and library.”

Launching the scheme in the summer, Neville, director of Jackson’s Row Developments, said: “Our vision is to deliver the biggest statement in architecture and development that Manchester has seen in modern times. 

“Our wish is for St Michael’s to become the premier destination in the city that people come to enjoy all year round… we’re committed to bringing back to life such a key, underused area of the city.”

Make founder Ken Shuttleworth said the practice had “designed two slender, elegant towers for the site…[which] provide a dynamic addition to the skyline”.

Also backing the scheme is developer Brendan Flood and as well as the city council.

 

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