The Manchester Digital Campus will be built on the site of the former Central Retail Park in Ancoats and is expected to cost around £310m to build.

According to planning documents the total value of the project could reach nearly £1bn factoring in final fit-out and site-wide improvements to Great Ancoats Street and the Rochdale Canal.

The project is anticipated to serve as a significant growth catalyst for Ancoats, supporting an estimated 4,900 direct construction jobs over the four-year building period, which is expected to start in April 2026.

Office campus and new city park from New Islington Marina

The scheme will provide around 900,000 sq ft to bring together several Civil Service departments with a focus on digital skills.

Six months of enabling works on the already cleared site will establish new site levels and aid the development of the park around and between the large footprint five and six-storey office buildings.

AtkinsRealis is providing architectural, structural and M&E design. Its designers have opted for a concrete frame for the building and also pre-cast concrete facade.

The buildings would be all-electric powered by roof-mounted photovoltaic panels and air-source heat pumps for heating and hot water generation. Both buildings are designed to achieve a BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating and NABERS 5*.

A central lawn and plaza will create a green buffer to Great Ancoats Street, with various tiered gardens navigating the different level changes across the site.

The site will accommodate new walking and cycling routes, helping to link to other city centre active travel investment in Ancoats, Northern Quarter and out towards the Etihad Campus.

Leader of the Council, Bev Craig said: “Gaining planning approval for both the GPA’s digital campus and the latest city centre park is the launchpad for the transformation of this site.

“Our ambition has long been to bring the former retail park back into active use and working in partnership with the GPA we are delivering a quality, low carbon development that will bring 7,000 civil service jobs to Manchester in the coming years.”