Wates Awarded Contract for Government Property Agency’s Manchester Hub

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• Wates Awarded Contract for Government Property Agency’s Manchester Hub

02 April 2025

Wates has won the Category B fit-out contract for the First Street Hub in Manchester.

Now that BAM has delivered the main build, Wates’ fit-out and refurbishment arm, Smartspace, is responsible for the fit-out works, ensuring the nine-storey building is functional for office use. 

The c.12,000 sq. ft. office building is part of The Government Property Agency’s (GPA) Government Hubs Programme to open more regional offices for civil servants outside London. Wates has already worked on the GPA’s Darlington Economics Campus and 2 Ruskin Square in Croydon.

The building will accommodate around 2,600 civil servants from various government departments such as the Department for Business and Trade and the Department for Education.

Ask Real Estate and its joint venture partner, Richardson, initially secured the pre-let of the building to the GPA. In 2022, the GPA finalised a lease agreement with the building’s owners, PIC.

The building is set to complete 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 NABERS 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 quality and sustainable workplaces for civil servants throughout the UK.”

Picture: an image showing a large and open reception area, with barriers to scan entry badges. Image Credit: Ask Real Estate.

Article written by Ella Tansley | Published 02 April 2025

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