Manchester government office in final construction stages

A new contractor for the government office in Manchester City will allow the building to enter its final construction phase. 

The Government Property Agency (GPA) has appointed Wates to conduct the Category B (Cat B) fit-out of its First Street Hub following a competitive tender process.The company will be responsible for ensuring the nine-storey building is fit for office use.

As part of the GPA’s Government Hubs Programme, the Manchester First Street Hub will host around 2,6000 civil servants from a wide variety of departments such as Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government (MHCLG). It is set to be completed in Autumn 2026.

Georgina Dunn, the GPA’s interim director of capital projects, said: “Appointing the Cat B contractor was the final major hurdle to overcome before the home straight of delivering this exceptional building. The hub will provide a state-of-the-art office space for thousands of civil servants and will be one of the largest cross-departmental hubs outside London. It also has enviable sustainability credentials with the building achieving a NABRS 5.5* rating — ranking it among the most sustainable buildings in the UK.

“We are proud of the progress we continue to make as we look to provide high faulty and sustainable workplaces for civil servants throughout the UK.”

Funded by the Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC), the £105 million development has a pivotal role in delivering modern, customer-focused and varied workspaces across the UK, not just in London, and ensuring civil servants can thrive.

First Street Hub has designed to be class-leading, meeting inclusive, and have accessible design standards. The 12,000sq m building is to support a range of different working styles, and includes spaces to enable collaboration, creativity, as well as community.