Crane one on site has now been taken down and the first footbridge has been lowered into position 24th February 2010

Mann Island in Liverpool has won the Regeneration Development of the Year at the 2009 North-West Property Week Awards 28th September 2009

Staff Visit To Mann Island 22nd September 2009

Merseytravel on the move 21 January 2009

Merseyside Passenger Transport Authority and Executive, Merseytravel, has signed one of Liverpool’s biggest commercial property deals in years.

The organisation will move to Neptune Developments and Countryside Properties’ Mann Island site [currently known as Building 3] on the banks of the River Mersey following a long and exhaustive two-year search for a new headquarters building.

The organisation hopes to move into the 11-storey 140,000 sq ft building, designed to some of the country’s highest environmental and accessibility standards, in around two years.

The new headquarters will bring Merseytravel staff from four sites into one location for the first time.

Councillor Mark Dowd, Chair of Merseytravel, said: “This is a landmark deal and one that will bring all our staff together in one central location.

“It will mean we are in the heart of the city and situated right next to all our major assets, the rail and bus network, the Mersey Tunnels and the Mersey Ferries.”

Neil Scales, Chief Executive and Director General of Merseytravel, added: “This is the right location for an organisation that is striving to be the best that it can be and will help us work much more closely across all divisions of our business. Our vision has been to unite our staff under one roof and put ourselves in the best possible position for the future.

“There is a great deal of history at our current headquarters in Hatton Garden. However, the age of the building is also one of the biggest problems. Staying there was no longer a long-term option as the ongoing maintenance costs were very high and the site just wasn’t big enough to pull all our staff together.”

The Mann Island development is being delivered as a joint venture between Neptune Developments and Countryside Properties plc.

As well as the 140,000 sq ft commercial office building adjacent to The Strand, the £135m scheme includes two striking granite buildings containing apartments, shops, restaurants and a series of sheltered waterside public spaces.

Steve Parry, Managing Director of Neptune Developments, added: “This is one of the biggest commercial property deals in the country and certainly the biggest office letting in Liverpool for several years.

“Securing the letting has been greatly assisted by the quality of the public realm and new buildings at Mann Island and the Pier Head which will make this the premier office, residential and leisure location in the City.

“Mann Island is an excellent location for Merseytravel due to its close proximity to the ferries, tunnels, Merseyrail and bus services at James Street and Paradise Street, providing a highly accessible location for its customers and staff.

“The high standard of the office space, which is one of the first offices in the city that achieves the BREEAM Excellent environmental standard, fits in with Neptune and Countryside’s philosophy that delivering developments of exceptional quality leads to commercial success.”

Merseytravel scoured many potential sites before short listing the Mann Island site as its preferred location.

The fit out, design and layout of the new building will be fine-tuned over the coming months, including a number of improvements for customers.

£70m deal for Mann Island apartments is biggest in Liverpool’s history Jan 17 2008 by Richard Down, Liverpool Daily Post

THE city’s biggest-ever residential property deal has been struck with the sale of almost 400 apartments in the shadow of the Three Graces.

The residential element within the three controversial granite wedges planned for Mann Island has been bought in a £70m deal.

Joint developers Countryside Properties and Neptune Developments have sold all 376 waterfront apartments to investment group, Dylan Harvey.

And the new owners say more than half of the homes, which cost the group an average of more than £180,000 each, have already been reserved.

The development lies in the heart of Liverpool’s World Heritage Centre and the ultra-modern development in black granite will be set against the landmark Royal Liver Building.

Neptune Development’s managing director Steve Parry said: “We are delighted to have exchanged contracts with one of the region’s leading investment and property companies. The deal confirms the underlying strength and confidence of Liverpool’s residential market.”

Liverpool council leader Warren Bradley also welcomed the news.

He said: “It’s important that any development in this highly sensitive waterfront site is of the highest standard.

“Dylan Harvey has a great track record of delivering high-quality and prestigious buildings.”

The new owners are responsible for arranging finance and service packages for individual investors and purchasers. They hope this work will fill the apartments before the completion date, provisionally set for the middle of 2009.

Dylan Harvey group’s managing director Toby Whittaker said: “We are very proud to have purchased the best residential site in Liverpool’s history. Sales have been very strong with over half of the site reserved already. I have been very impressed with Neptune Developments and Countryside Properties attention to detail throughout the whole design of the scheme, and look forward to doing more business in the future.”

Martyn Green, partner at property consultants King Sturge, Liverpool, brokered the deal after Dylan Harvey approached them last March.

He said: “We suggested they buy into Mann Island. They offered to buy every apartment and we couldn’t believe it.

“By anyone’s standard, 376 sales in a day is quite an achievement.”

The development comprises two 10-storey residential buildings together with a third building which includes 100,000 sq ft of commercial office space.

Homes will offer views of both the city and River Mersey and will include roofscapes with terraces, wintergardens and sheltered residential courtyards.

In addition, there will be 76,000 sq ft of retail space at ground floor level.

Work on the project was delayed in the autumn as archeological excavations took place to unearth and catalogue three centuries of building including cobbled streets, and an ornate police station.

Bucking national and global trends – Mann Island Jan 12 2008

Almost three quarters of the apartments being built as part of the stunning Mann Island development in the heart of Liverpool’s World Heritage Site have been sold or reserved, latest figures have revealed.

In transactions bucking national and global trends, contracts have been exchanged on 170 of the 376 Mann Island apartments and reservations placed off-plan on a further 84, even though the first completions are not due until next summer.

The success proves, that despite the international economic gloom, product, location and the right team can succeed in the challenging city centre property marketplace.

The apartments were the subject of Liverpool’s single biggest residential property deal earlier this year when all 376 were sold by Neptune Developments/Countryside Properties to investment group Dylan Harvey for a sum in excess of £70m.

“This many reservations and contract exchanges before the buildings are out of the ground, reflects the all-round quality both of the scheme and the team behind delivering and marketing it,” said John Grealis, Regional Director for Major Projects at Countryside Properties.

“All the factors are in place at Mann Island. It is a fabulous location, a strikingly designed scheme and, importantly, it has excellent people working to make it succeed.”

The expertise of Countryside Properties has ensured the apartment product is right for the marketplace in terms of unit sizes, quality of design and facilities including the provision of parking spaces which are disappearing from the city centre as new developments emerge.

Neptune Developments has a long and consistent track record of delivering major projects in Liverpool, and the quality of the Mann Island development is an expression of its confidence in this key city location, and the appeal of its mix of commercial, leisure and residential uses around a new canal basin.

“Mann Island deserved a scheme that reflected its prominence and importance within the World Heritage Site and I think the level of apartment sales validates our commitment to excellence and the distinctive and imaginative nature of the design.

Whilst the entire property market is feeling the impact of the current economic uncertainty, the unique opportunity offered by Mann Island is encouraging purchasers to financially commit to the scheme and this is of course greatly assisted by the confidence that has been generated in Liverpool recently especially by the Capital of Culture, the ACC and Liverpool One” said Steve Parry, Neptune Developments’ Managing Director.

Dylan Harvey, who specialises in acquiring high quality developments and then arranging finance and service packages for individual investors and purchasers, bring the marketing and sales intelligence to match the apartments with the right buyers.

Toby Whittaker, Dylan Harvey Group’s Managing Director, said: “Mann Island is a one off opportunity and our purchasers recognise that quality, both in terms of the location and buildings, is the primary consideration for investment decisions. Liverpool has come a long way in recent years and unlike many other areas still offers excellent value and growth potential.”

Notable features of the homes will include roofscapes with terraces, a winter garden, stunning residential atriums and secure basement car parking.