Bruntwood SciTech, a joint venture (JV) formed by Bruntwood and Legal & General, has begun construction on a 125,000ft² speciality laboratory and office space at the Citylabs cluster in Manchester, UK.
The JV has appointed British construction company GMI Construction Group as the construction contractor for the Citylabs 4.0 project.
In addition, architect Sheppard Robson and local companies such as Gardiner, Hilson Moran, Arup, Theobald, and Layers are working on this development.
Citylabs 4.0 is the third phase of the overarching Citylabs project and will expand the campus from 192,000ft² to a total of 327,000ft².
This property development is valued at approximately £42m and is located at the Oxford Road campus of Manchester University National Health Service (NHS) Foundation Trust.
The loan was obtained through the North West Evergreen Fund, which is administered by CBRE’s Investment Advisory division, a part of CBRE Capital Advisors.
This seven-storey building has the potential infrastructure to support CL2 labs and specialised equipment such as higher floor loads, improved cooling and ventilation systems, and an extensive platform lift.
Bruntwood SciTech Life Sciences director Dr Kath Mackay said: “Manchester’s life science ecosystem continues to thrive and at Citylabs through our partnership with MFT we can provide businesses with direct access into the NHS and have tests and treatments adopted at a faster pace and scale here more than anywhere else, resulting in improved healthcare for the people of Manchester and wider region.”
The project is scheduled to fully open in early 2025.
Citylabs 4.0 is projected to be 100% electric and obtain net-zero carbon ratings in both its construction and operational stages in its common areas.
The property is being designed to be a highly energy-efficient building featuring 208m² of solar panels.
