Manchester developer Capital & Centric has launched its latest apartment scheme where one and two bedroom homes will be on average 35 per cent larger than other properties in the city.
The £25m Phoenix development near Piccadilly Station is Capital & Centric’s first new build to complete in the city.
Featuring exposed concrete and pipework, with stylishly minimal interiors, spacious balconies, and a roof garden, the design-led apartments on Chapeltown Street start from £199,000.
The one bedroom homes are around 612 sq ft - 46 per cent bigger than the current levels dictated by the Manchester Design Guide, while the two bedroom homes are around 845 sq ft – that’s 29 per cent bigger.
The ten-storey building has been designed by award winning architects shedkm.
The developer has been known to ring fence a number of its new flats for buyers from Manchester - to ensure that their property isn’t completely snapped up by overseas investors.
And the same has been applied to Phoenix.
Said Adam Higgins of Capital & Centric: “When we’re looking at creating homes we have the end user in mind.
“And that’s not an investor.
“As with all our developments we’re thinking about the owner occupiers. They’re people who want to live in the city, build their homes here, make new friends, and build a community around that.
“So a home should be the starting point and that means giving people the space to live but also have the space to have family and friends around.
“When someone has had a busy or stressful day at work, we want them to be able to go home and relax and unwind.
“The layout has been designed so that residents can also get to know their neighbours.
“Very often you walk into an apartment block and straight into a long hallway facing one door after another and you don’t know who’s living there - and if you don’t know who’s on your floor, how do you get to know them?
“The layout of Phoenix means when a resident gets off a lift there’s only four apartments. This gives them a better chance to get to know who their neighbours are.
“We’ve always said we wanted to create homes and to do that we need to think about our users and what they want.”
Tim Heatley of Capital & Centric said: “We don’t believe in design by spreadsheet. For us it’s about creating massive, bold and cool homes that reflect how people actually live. People want a place that feels like home. It’s got to have roomy and really big living areas where they can chill and hang out with their mates.
“The apartments at Phoenix are bigger and brighter than the rest, with an open plan layout creating more liveable space.
“These apartments are far from your average white box, with exposed concrete and pipework giving them bags of character.
“Phoenix is for people that love awesome design and that appreciate the little details, from the architecture down to the interiors.”
Located adjacent to Capital & Centric’s Crusader Mill development, Phoenix residents will be at the heart of the wider community being created around Piccadilly Station.
The developers recently revealed their vision to create a thriving new neighbourhood with plans for a new hotel on Adair Street and ambitions for further offices, hotels, cafes and bars.
Phoenix residents will be part of the community forming at neighbouring Crusader Mill with access to its green courtyard, fire pits, barbeques, WiFi and Bluetooth speakers.
They will also share Crusader’s 24/7 concierge and be dog friendly.
Tim Heatley continues: “It’s crazy, given its prime city centre location, that this area’s been unloved for years but things are really starting to happen. PHOENIX, and Crusader Mill next door, will be a new community in what’s quickly becoming the city’s newest and most vibrant quarter.
“It’s already a hub for independents, like Track Brewery, Cloudwater and Cultureplex, and with more bars and restaurants to come it’ll be thriving.
“With everything else planned round here it’s a great time for people to invest while its up and coming.”
Named after the Phoenix Works, that once produced machinery for the textile industry, the development is due for completion at the end of 2019.
22 apartments have been released for initial sale.
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