A listed building in the heart of a south Manchester suburb could soon be transformed into a ‘classy bar and restaurant’, apartments and offices.
Developers hope to transform Withington’s former Natwest bank with a scheme they say will ‘propel the renaissance’ of the village.
The Grade II-listed building was sold at auction for £1m last year and has since been used for a number of community events including crafts fairs and a pop-up beer festival.
Long term plans for the site, on Wilmslow Road, have remained under wraps - until now.
Step Places has now put forward a proposal to turn the huge building into ‘a lively F&B destination’, apartments and offices.
“Located at the heart of Withington village, our new mixed use development will propel the renaissance of this vibrant area,” details on the developer’s website state.
It adds: “The development brings together a beautiful grade II listed building, that will become part of a fabulous mixed use scheme including: apartments, offices and retail space.
"The former Natwest bank building will become a classy bar and restaurant bringing vibrancy into this area of Withington.
"The Grade II-listed building will be preserved maintaining all the original features and converted into a lively F&B destination."
A public consultation event was held earlier this month at the premises.
A formal planning application for the site, which sits in the Withington Conservation Area, is expected in the coming months.
The building sold for £1,050,000 back in April last year - double the listed guide price of £500,000.
The 8,600 sq ft Grade II listed building was designed in 1890 by Scottish architects Mills and Murgatroyd - who were also responsible for the 1869 redesign of the Royal Exchange building.
It includes the former vault, basement, bank premises and an adjacent three-storey building with a rear car park.
The bank closed back in the summer of 2015 as Natwest sold off a number of branches following a rise in online banking.
