Revamp for city centre eyesore empty for 13 years

How the building on Mosley Street could look once the work is complete

A historic city centre building which has been abandoned for 13 years is to get a new lease of life.

The empty office block which dates back to the 1860s is in a prime location on Mosley Street in Manchester, close to St Peter’s Square and next to Manchester’s busiest Metrolink tram stop.

Plans to restore the Grade II listed building to its former glory have been unveiled by architects Atelier MB.

The proposals will see "historic shop fronts reinstated" to "create new retail and restaurant spaces", as well as office space above the ground floor.

The vacant building on 77-79 Mosley Street sits at the corner of Mosley Street and Princess Street.

Atelier MB boss Andrew Burns said it was a "significant building".

"It was originally designed and built as speculative office and warehouse space, so it is fitting we are retaining its original use.

"We have worked closely with OBI [Property] to make sure the office space and amenities retain the historic character of the building and set a high-quality standard to meet the needs of today’s occupiers.

"The prominent location, facing both the Manchester Art Gallery and on to St Peter’s Square makes it an important part of the transformation of the core of the city centre as we look forward to the completion of the Town Hall restoration project."

He said there would be enough room for 250 jobs once the project was complete, with almost 13,000 sq ft (1,209 sq m) of office space and about 8,750 sq ft (813 sq m) of retail and leisure space.

A planning application has been submitted for the project.