Bam eyes deal for Vita co-living tower
18 Nov 2019, Charlie Schouten and Jessica Middleton-Pugh
The contractor is understood to be in negotiations to deliver the 32-storey building on Manchester’s Water Street, developer Vita’s first co-living scheme in the UK.
While a contract is yet to be agreed, Vita is aiming to start work on the tower in mid-2020 with a planning application expected this year; the tower is the first of a pair planned for the site, which was sold by Allied London to Vita in May.
Under plans revealed at a public consultation last month, the development, named Union, is to be made up of 388 flats delivered in two, three and four-bedroom cluster apartments as well as studios. There will also be four floors given to amenity space.
Bam is in talks to deliver the building from podium level upwards; the basement is already being delivered by Lendlease, Allied London’s construction partner for the wider St Johns site.
The site had planning permission for two residential towers of 36 storeys, named Nickel and Dime, before Allied offloaded the plot to Vita.
Last month, David Ancell of Vita Group told Place North West the scheme would be targeted at “graduates just out of university, bar workers, the life blood of the city who are currently unable to live anywhere near where they work, living in shared accommodation on the fringe of the city, taking up housing stock which could be better used for families.”
“We did a lot of focus groups and research into the demographic, average salaries, and exploring why people live where they live,” he said.
“It’s largely down to still wanting to be sociable as the social group post-university starts to disperse, and also affordability. We thought there must be a middle ground where you can deliver affordable units in the city centre but create a well-managed ecosystem and shared amenity.”
Other projects Bam is delivering in Manchester include 100 Embankment, a 166,000 sq ft £65m office being built for developer Ask. The company is also main contractor for Plot 9a at First Street for the same developer, where it is to build a hotel and office.
Bam and Vita were contacted for comment.