Allied London chief executive Mike Ingall is aiming to attract an “international brand boutique hotel” and other “Instagrammable” occupiers to its London Road Fire Station in Manchester.
The vacant 140,000 sq ft building was acquired by Allied London in November after a lengthy battle between previous owner Britannia Hotels and Manchester City Council to see it redeveloped.
Ingall’s vision features 20 different uses, including 20-30 flats, two hotels, a spa, restaurants, bars, coffee shops and the UK’s first 100% digital art gallery.
Some of the rooms will feature luxury workspace designed to give professionals visiting from London a place to co-work.
Ingall said: “Has Manchester got a boutique hotel that Wallpaper* will write about, that will be all over Instagram, that can change the brand of a city? No, it hasn’t got one. It will have.”
Allied London is not redeveloping the Grade II listed property, but finding uses to fit the building, Ingall said.
Chosen operators will receive invitations to look at the building and develop concepts that fit in with the plans for the existing listed structure.
Ingall said: “If you are an operator whose brand is known in the world, you are Instagrammable and you can provide an experience, you get an invite to come into this building. If you ain’t, you won’t.”
Allied London published the results of its first consultation this week, and it will go out for a further consultation in March.
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