Wigan Athletic Football Club chairman and JJB Sports founder Dave Whelan is planning a high-end private rented sector scheme in Manchester.
Whelan-backed Huron Properties has bought the vacant 8 King Street on the corner of Deansgate from Royal London Asset Management for an undisclosed sum.
Plans have been lodged to convert the 20,000 sq ft upper floors of the building into 21 high-spec flats for rent.
Former Blackburn Rovers player Whelan is understood to have been attracted initially by the relaxed rules for office-to-resi conversions introduced to the planning system in May, with the property sitting just outside the Manchester exclusion zone.
However, since the building is Grade II listed, the newly relaxed rules did not apply.
The block is in the heart of Manchester’s retail district, and the ground floor shop units are let to 11 tenants, including Jaeger, L’Occitane and Goldman Stirling, all of which will be retained as tenants.
Christopher Dee acted for Huron; HOW Planning is advising on the refurbishment.
chris.berkin@estatesgazette.com
