Gary Neville's St Michael's development scraps boutique hotel plans

Plans for a boutique hotel to be included within Gary Neville's £200m St Michael's development in Manchester have been scrapped in favour of office space.

Planning permission for the development was originally granted in June 2018 and demolition work began in April 2021. According to planning documents filed with Manchester City Council, the project is now progressing towards Phase 2, involving the construction of offices and conversion of the former police station on Bootle Street, which was to be transformed into a 29-bedroom boutique hotel.

However, documents submitted to the council said that securing an operator for a boutique hotel post-pandemic was "more challenging than previously, making a hotel use less attractive", whereas there is an undersupply of office space within the city.

The development will still feature retail, cafés and restaurants, a spa and gym, and a 191-bedroom five-star hotel as originally planned.

The St Michael's scheme is being planned by St Michael's Partnership, a consortium including Jackson's Row Developments, formed by former Manchester United footballer Gary Neville and businessman Brendan Flood, Singaporean real estate company Rowsley and Beijing Construction and Engineering Group International. The development is intended to transform the city's largely disused Jackson's Row area.

Fellow ex-Manchester United footballer Ryan Giggs was also previously involved but resigned from the board of Jackson's Row Developments earlier this year.