Revolutionizing Manchester: Inside Gary Neville's ambitious St Michael's project

In a significant milestone for Manchester’s property development, Gary Neville’s Relentless Developments has launched its ambitious St Michael’s project. The former Manchester United and England footballer was in town earlier this month with his business partners in the project, with BritCham present to support the media launch.

The ambitious £400m (S$665million) St Michael’s development in the very heart of Manchester will be home to W Residences in a deal recently announced with Marriott International. W Residences Manchester are the brand’s first outside London, and one of only 20 worldwide.

Former Manchester United and England footballer Gary Neville was in town earlier this month with his business partners in the project, property developer Salboy, and real estate agents Savills, to launch the city’s very first branded residences alongside a 5-star W Hotel. During his trip to Singapore our Executive Director David Kelly, and Deputy Executive Director Lucy Haydon, had the opportunity to meet with Gary and his colleagues to learn more.

Singapore was chosen as a first stop on the international promotional tour for the project given Gary’s ongoing connections to the city-state and Salboy’s existing customer base here, and will be followed by stops in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and the Middle East.

Former professional footballer-turned investor, Gary Neville, answering questions with Simon Ismail, Co-Founder & MD, Salboy at the 10th November Singapore media launch for the W Residences Manchester.

Gary has long envisioned the development as a transformative opportunity for Manchester. During the media engagement he stated, “St Michael’s has been a labour of love for the past 15 years… one of Manchester’s most ambitious projects.” Neville, who spent his football career experiencing worldclass hospitality in various cities, felt Manchester was missing out on opportunities in this aspect. His ambition was to introduce Manchester’s first worldclass development, a vision now coming to fruition with St Michaels. He believes this project is not just a landmark for Manchester but a world-class icon, asserting, “I do believe we have a building that could live in Singapore, it could live in Dubai, it could live in London.”

Collaborating with construction company Salboy, who have plans to open an office in Singapore, and real estate firm Savills, Relentless Developments is ensuring that St Michaels stands out not only in design but also in execution and market positioning. Simon Ismail of Salboy highlighted the uniqueness of this development, saying, “This is the first branded residences outside of London in the UK. That tells you something about where the city (of Manchester) is going.”

The development’s first phase includes over 180,000 sq ft of workspace, unrivalled international hotel and residences. The commercial portion, slated for completion in Q3 2024, already has around 70% of the space let. The second phase will feature a 162-bed 5-star hotel, and 217 branded W residences. Remarkably, within a week of launching the W Residences, around 60 units were sold, reinforcing the developers’ confidence in their project’s direction and appeal. The luxury residences will offer owners all the amenities and services of a W Hotel, including 24-hour concierge, round-the-clock in-residence dining, laundry and dry cleaning. Located within the development’s iconic 41-storey tower, the residences will feature alongside the W Hotel, set to open in 2027.

Savills provides further insight into Manchester’s potential, noting the city’s over 120,000 students, including 21,000 international students, and its status as a hub for innovation, arts, and culture. Significantly, 51% of the total students choose to stay in Manchester post-graduation, driving demand in various sectors, including rental and buy-to-let markets. The average property price in Manchester, currently at £273,000, has seen a substantial increase over the past 5-6 years. The North-West region, particularly Manchester, has been outperforming other UK locations, including London, in rental performance and is expected to outperform the UK as a whole in the mainstream residential market over the next five years.

The city’s growth is further supported by infrastructure developments like Manchester airport’s £800 billion upgrade. With 40,000 development plots in the city, there’s approximately a decade’s worth of market supply. However, to meet the burgeoning demand and accelerate development, Savills notes the city would require about double this number. This balanced growth across residential, retail, commercial, and F&B sectors is attracting a significant number of people across the UK and internationally, contributing to the rise in property prices.

St Michaels, therefore, is not just a property development; it’s a statement about Manchester’s place on the global stage – a city ready to offer world-class amenities and lifestyle options, echoing Gary Neville’s vision of bringing a piece of international luxury to his home city.

Find Out More

Visit W Residences Manchester online at http://wresidencesmanchester.com.

Find out more about the St Michael’s project at www.relentlessdevelopments.co.uk/developments/stmichaels-tj6am. Follow @stmichaelsmcron on Instagram.

Find out more about Salboy at https://salboy.co.uk/

BritCham Executive Director, David Kelly, & Deputy Executive Director, Lucy Haydon, pictured with former professional footballer and property developer Gary Neville at the media launch