Piccadilly East set to grow with new homes, a rooftop garden, cafe-bars and more

Plans for more homes in Manchester’s emerging Piccadilly East neighbourhood have got the go-ahead. 

Manchester City Council has this week approved Capital&Centric’s plans for the £28m Ferrous, to feature 107 design-led, rental apartments on Chapeltown Street – a stone’s throw from Manchester Piccadilly station.

Ferrous will act as a neighbour to the social impact developer’s existing projects in Piccadilly East, the historic Crusader Mill restoration and new build Phoenix community. 

As well as 107 new homes over 15 storeys, Ferrous will also boast a rooftop residents’ garden, two café-bars, lush parks on the ground floor and The Cabin – a new space for pop-up events. 

The 20,000 sq.ft site was once protected as part of the expansion of the Metrolink line, but has since been left empty for years. 

It’s another milestone for Manchester-based Capital&Centric, who spearheaded development of Piccadilly East as a buzzing new community for the city. 

The green light for Ferrous will see more street-level spaces for residents to hang out, with the shared gardens and the Cabin set to become a social hub. 

The developers are currently on site at the neighbouring Leonardo Hotel Piccadilly East on Adair Street – a new hotel and public square boasting a striking Jenga-block design set to open this spring.

Construction on Ferrous is planned to start this Autumn and complete in late 2024.

It’s the latest exciting investment news for Piccadilly East, with the team behind Manchester hotspots Ramona and The Firehouse recently revealing plans for Diecast, a massive beer and food hall, brewery, night market and offices at the industrial site around the corner from the Ferrous site, between Store Street and Ducie Street.

“It’s no mean feat establishing a new neighbourhood in a city centre, but Piccadilly East is becoming an awesome place to live,” said Tim Heatley, co-founder at Capital&Centric.

“Ferrous is the next part of the story, bringing more new homes with our trademark design-led finish, but crucially more spaces that’ll breathe life in the area.

“There’s a genuine community forming across Crusader Mill and Phoenix, with owner occupiers forging friendships and making the most of the awesome location.

“Ferrous will deliver a new social hangout space, with lush planting and The Cabin – a space for indie pop-ups and one-off foodie events to get people spending time there.

“That, plus the two spaces for café bars or shops should really help foster that close-knit neighbourhood feel, right round the corner from Piccadilly station.”