Work progresses on plans to bring 2,600 government jobs to Greater Manchester hub

Construction has topped out on the First Street Hub, a new Government Property Agency (GPA) office development that will house over 2,600 civil service jobs in a single location in Greater Manchester.

The nine-storey, 12,000 sq ft scheme in Manchester city centre, close to Deansgate station, is expected to be ready for internal fit-out by the end of 2024 now that construction has reached its highest point.

Once complete, the hub will provide workspace for approximately 2,600 civil servants across a number of government departments and agencies, including: the Legal Aid Agency (LAA), the Office of Rail and Road (ORR), the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC), the Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED), and the Department for Education (DfE).

The development will bring roles already in the Greater Manchester under one roof, as well as see the relocation of over 700 government jobs from Whitehall as part of Levelling Up commitments.

The construction is being carried out by BAM, appointed by lead developer Ask to deliver the main build. A competitive tender process for the subsequent fit-out works, scheduled to take a further 12 months, has just completed with the GPA due to make an announcement in the next few weeks.

Senior representatives from the GPA, Ask Real Estate, BAM Construction and PIC – the investor funding the hub’s construction – and members of the wider supply chain gathered to mark the occasion with a traditional ‘Topping Out’ ceremony.

Parliamentary Secretary for the Cabinet Office, Alex Burghart, said: 

“We are committed to creating more modern and productive work environments where civil servants can be inspired and take pride in delivering the best possible service to the taxpayer.

“The new Manchester First Street Hub puts us in an even stronger position to attract talent from across the region into the civil service and better support the thousands of hard-working civil servants currently based in Manchester.“

Clive Anderson, the GPA’s Director of Capital Projects, said: 

“The entire project team is making excellent progress and it’s fantastic to celebrate reaching this significant stage in the programme. This new state-of-the-art office will provide a home for civil servants from across the government, making it one of the largest hubs for cross-departmental collaboration and operation outside London. The GPA remains immensely proud of  the industry-leading sustainability, accessibility and workplace standards delivered by the Government Hubs Programme.“

John Hughes, Managing Director at Ask said:

“It’s fantastic to see this project taking shape now and to be celebrating such a significant milestone in its construction. We’re proud to be working with the GPA to deliver a project which will provide a boost to the economic growth of the area, and to witness the further expansion of the First Street neighbourhood establishing it as a business location of choice.“

James Agar, Head of Long Income at PIC, added:

“Government-let commercial property assets are an important, on-going area of specific focus for PIC, and we are pleased to make this long-term commitment to supporting the greening and modernisation of the UK Government’s estate.

“The First Street hub, Manchester, is a best-in-class development and joins 2 Ruskin Square, Croydon, as part of our expanding partnership with the GPA. An important feature of this development is that it is intended to be net zero carbon in operation, which exemplifies PIC’s purposeful investment strategy.

“Equally important is the collaborative effort projects like this demand, and we would especially like to thank our development partners Ask, and BAM Construction for working so successfully with us on the project.”