The contractor is undertaking the £8m refurbishment on the instruction of Boultbee Brooks Real Estate (BBRE), the UK based real estate investor/developer.
The project will see the complete transformation of the five-storey building including a new 7,500 sq ft roof-top floor, along with a retail unit on the ground floor, delivering 48,000 sq ft of Grade A office space with exposed services.
Over the 12-month build programme new glazed panels, separated by fluted rendered columns, will be installed. Internally, a new four-storey lightwell, from floors two to six, will be built.
Each floor will be remodelled with new amenities and public areas to create flexible floor plates for the new tenants. A new entrance atrium will also be created on the ground floor.
Designed by PRP Architects and project managed by OBI Property, 30 Brown Street is expected to complete by summer 2018.
Roger James, development director for BBRE, said: “It’s great to see 30 Brown Street construction works underway. We have put together an excellent team to deliver the project and look forward to securing new occupiers for the space over the coming months.”
James Bostock, building consult at OBI Property said: “The refurbishment of 30 Brown Street will create a stand-out building with an eye-catching glazed exterior. The tired, inflexible interior space will become a bright, modern, office environment which will be much more to the taste of current occupiers and in keeping with the Grade A standard.”
The project is the latest city centre scheme for Russells, which is also working on the £35m Hanover restoration at NOMA, and Property Alliance Group’s Axis Tower on Albion Street and Oxygen in Store Street. The team has also recently completed Motel One-Royal Exchange in Cross Street.
Director Andrew Russell said: “The typical low level 1980s office building, 30 Brown Street will be almost unrecognisable when the refurbishment is complete. The brick façade will be replaced with large glazed panels and internally it will be remodelled and upgraded significantly.
“We are pleased to have been appointed by OBI Property following a competitive tender process, and to secure our latest city centre scheme. As this year’s Deloitte Crane Survey demonstrated, investment into Manchester is at a nine-year high across residential, office and hotel development and we are well-placed to take advantage of that. Russells is currently working on schemes in each of these sectors and successfully beating national contractors for projects right across the North West.”
OBI Property is joint leasing agent with CBRE.
