Allied London announces plans for development of former Granada site

Property Developer Allied London has announced plans to transform part of the former Granada Studios site in Manchester into a new media hub when it takes control of the building in June. The new building is to be branded Hello House and will offer workspace specifically aimed at media and PR companies, including startups and SMEs as well as established businesses. Not only has the site already enjoyed a long associated with one of the UK’s most famous and well-established media firms, it is also be able to take advantage of Manchester’s growing reputation as one of the country’s most important media and tech locations. The revamped space will include a rooftop media bar and facilities to encourage tenants to work together and develop new joint opportunities. Allied London has already signed up its first tenants.

Michael Ingall, chief executive at Allied London, said: “We have been supporting a number of young start-up and early growth media companies in Spinningfields, which we are now going to relocate into Hello House, creating a hub for PR, marketing and media companies. More importantly, we aim to establish a media, tech and innovation proposition at Old Granada that we will nurture and support. We hope that this will become embedded in our long-term development plans.

“The initial building will include places to meet, chat, hold events, talks and launches, together with collision areas, which have been designed to allow businesses to interact and work together. It will include a media roof bar and social club designed for press launches and events, which may be opened to the public at weekends.

“We’re investing a lot of energy and resource into this project and all that we ask in return is that the people moving in commit to working together and help us create something that can grow organically around the businesses that come here. Manchester has some great media tech and innovative businesses, some of which will need support to develop. If we can create the right ecosystem, the city can develop a much needed proposition.”

Ingall concluded:  “Following on from our successful development of MediaCom’s new headquarters, together with companies such as Outsourcery, Great Fridays, Yahoo, Worldpay all now based in Spinningfields, we’re increasingly looking to work with the media and tech industries. The sector’s creative, dynamic and flexible approach to business allows us to create successful propositions for the new and fast-emerging TMT industry. We believe in the value of clusters, as we have developed in the professional and finance sectors at Spinningfields, but Old Granada Studios and the longer-term St Johns Quarter will be a very different type of cluster.”

“We believe our immediate short term masterplan at Old Granada studios will ultimately inform our wider development plans for St Johns. We think we can quickly and successfully start developing areas of the site particularly where we intend to retain certain buildings. Several of the areas will be very attractive as a media, tech and innovation proposition enhanced particularly by the forthcoming Ordsall chord.”