Nigel Hugill’s and Robert Butler’s Urban & Civic is to double the number of homes on its newly acquired Manchester schemes in Piccadilly and Deansgate to 800.
The regeneration company said it would scrap the 62,000 sq ft office -element of the former Origin site and replace it with a block of around 70 flats.
The site already has consent for 180 flats, plus a boutique hotel, alongside the offices.
Its angular pre-recession design is also likely to be changed, with delivery accelerated for a potential start on site before the end of the year.
Meanwhile, the Ramada hotel site in Deansgate, which has a consent for 248 flats, a hotel, shops and 212,000 sq ft of offices, is likely to see its allocation increased to 550 flats.
The site’s new owners plan to hold an international design competition for a new scheme. The property is let to hotelier Marriott until 2017.
Urban & Civic – which merged with regional developer Terrace Hill in May 2014 before undertaking a £170m share placing – paid Morgan Stanley £22.5m for the sites in November.
