The Hut Group has agreed to develop a 1m sq ft business campus at Manchester Airport.
The online beauty business will invest $1bn in the region over the next three years.
The news comes after EG reported in July that THG was in advanced talks with MAG Property to prelet a site at Airport City, Manchester.
The Airport City development is a joint venture between Manchester Airports Group, Beijing Construction Engineering Group International and Greater Manchester Pension Fund. It has plans to develop about 5m sq ft of commercial space in the next 10 to 15 years.
The new business campus site will be built in four phases, with phase one comprising office buildings totalling 280,000 sq ft.
An option agreement has been reached between THG and Airport City Manchester for phases two, three and four of the site.
Ultimately supporting up to 10,000 jobs, the project represents the UK’s largest bespoke office development outside London.
Airport City Manchester’s joint venture partners will act on behalf of THG as the project’s developer, working in partnership with creative executive architect, workplace culture strategist and interior designer Penson. A planning application has now been submitted, with construction scheduled to begin in early 2019.
THG already has a presence at Airport City after taking 79,000 sq ft of office space in the Voyager and 4M buildings earlier this year.
Matthew Moulding, founder and chief executive of THG, said: “As we continue to extend our global footprint, it makes sense for us to base our headquarters at Airport City in Manchester, with its global connections and access to talent and supply chains worldwide.”
Charlie Cornish, chief executive of MAG and Airport City jv partner, said: “As a technology-led, e-commerce business with a significant international footprint, THG is the ideal anchor occupier for the first phase of Airport City Manchester, which will bring significant job creation to the region and further emphasise our position as a hub for international commerce.
“We have worked closely with THG to help the company establish its initial presence at Airport City Manchester and will develop our relationship to deliver what will be the largest office development deal outside London for over 20 years. This is a major boost for the delivery of Airport City, where we still have 60 acres of land available to deliver a further 2m sq ft of business space.”
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