Manchester’s Equitable Building acquired by Sheffield firm Henry Boot Developments

Yorkshire property firm Henry Boot Developments has acquired Equitable Building in Manchester city centre.

The 28,500 sq ft property, located opposite the Grade I-listed St Ann’s Church, dates back to the late 19th Century and forms a prominent part of the retail offer at St Ann’s square.

Lying within the St Ann’s Square conservation area, Equitable Building is home to a number of high street names, including jewellers Ernest Jones and David Robinson, both of which will remain following the acquisition.

The site’s three upper floors, once occupied by retailer Habitat, are currently vacant.

Henry Boot Developments director Adam Brady said: “We’ve always loved this building so we were excited to see it come to the market.

“The building has so much potential and now we have the opportunity to do something special here.”

He added: “Working with historic buildings comes with a unique set of challenges which can deter some developers, but for us this is what we know and what we do best.”

Property investment consultancy Christopher Dee represented Henry Boot Developments in the transaction. Cushman & Wakefield acted for the vendor.

Henry Boot’s portfolio already boasts a number of properties in Manchester, including the Courthouse, the Silk Works in Spinningfields and the £250m Kampus scheme, a joint venture with developer Capital & Centric.

UK wide, Sheffield-headquartered Henry Boot last year built 875,000 sq ft space, pre-funded £600m worth of development and entered into £360m worth of development contracts.

Looking to promote your product/service to SME businesses in your region? Find out how Bdaily can help →