St. Modwen plans park blitz at Avro Park

KPI Properties, the joint venture partnership between St Modwen Properties PLC and Salhia Real Estate Co, has submitted a detailed planning application for 162,000 sq.ft of office and light industrial accommodation on its 10-acre site in Trafford Park, Manchester. The site immediately adjoins the 360,000 sq ft warehouse and UK headquarters currently being developed by KPI for Adidas.

The new development, to be called Avro Park, will comprise 70,000 sq.ft of front door offices and 92,000 sq.ft of light industrial space set within a well landscaped environment including over 350 new trees. The site fronts Mosley Road and is immediately adjoining the Bridgewater Canal.

Avro Park will be built speculatively in two phases and the first units will be ready for occupation from next summer. The adjoining adidas facility is scheduled to be operational next Spring.

Paul Batho, of St Modwen, commented: ³Trafford Park has consistently proved to be a vibrant market for employment space, increasingly offices. Avro Park will provide a new stream of business accommodation in the heart of the area.

³It has an excellent location adjacent to adidas¹ new UK headquarters and we are confident that the development will be well received by the market².

The scheme has been named Avro Park to mark the fact that ŒManchester Œ heavy bombers were manufactured on the site by Avro during the Second World War. The Avro Manchester was effectively the predecessor to the more famous Lancaster bomber entering into service in 1940 .

King Sturge is advising St Modwen.

Note to Editors:

Key Properties Ltd has agreed to sell the headquarters/distribution building it is developing for adidas to the National Farmers Union Mutual Insurance Society Ltd. The 360,000 sq ft (33,444 sq m) building will be let on completion to adidas at a rent of £4.75 per sq ft for 15 years.

The site was formerly the home of GEC¹s Hotpoint operation. It was acquired by KPI in a portfolio of Marconi properties and became available for redevelopment after Merloni, Hotpoint¹s succesor vacated the site.

For further information contact Paul Batho of St Modwen (01925 825950).

Issued by Paul Raymer of Howle Chapman Raymer (07958 345328).