New images of Manchester’s stunning new Mayfield Park have been revealed as it is announced that we will be lead designer and structural engineer for the park working on the team alongside PP O’Connor Group, landscape architect Gillespies and river engineer Buro Happold.

We will be working with the team to deliver the beautiful new 6.5-acre green space, which will be the jewel in the crown of the transformational £1.4bn Mayfield development, and is Manchester city centre’s first new public park in more than 100 years.

Following the clearing and cleaning of the 24-acre former industrial site, the exciting next phase will see the River Medlock – one of the three founding rivers the city of Manchester grew-up around – uncovered after more than five decades hidden underneath a concrete culvert.

Arlene Van Bosch, Development Director for U+I and the Mayfield Partnership said: “The Mayfield project has been gathering pace throughout 2021. Mayfield Park will define this part of the city centre when it opens to the public in 2022 so it was important to us that the contractors we selected would not only deliver outstanding technical work and economic value, but social value too.

“We have consistently pledged to use Manchester talent where possible in the development of this exciting new neighbourhood, so it is great to deliver on our promise by appointing a contractor headquartered just a few miles away from Mayfield and which understands this project’s significance to our city.”

Julian Broster, our Co-founding Director,  said: “The development of Mayfield and the creation of the new park will be truly transformational for this area of Manchester. The site is rich in history and will see the creation of a distinctive neighbourhood, showcasing its heritage, where people can access generous green space and enjoy meaningful contact with nature. The freshly daylighted River Medlock is the centrepiece of this. It is a real opportunity for us to use our nature-based engineering methods to reinstate the watercourse as an authentic geographic feature, especially as it is set in a wider urban landscape. Reusing, repurposing and upcycling the remnants of the different uses and activities that have accumulated on site over centuries, responsibly blended with the natural landscape, has been central to our approach.  We have a long-standing history with Mayfield, having worked on it for MIF and most recently on ‘Escape to Freight Island’, so it is fantastic to be playing our part in helping to shape the next stage of its very green, sustainable future!”

Charmaine O’Connor, Chief Executive at PP O’Connor Group added: “As a Manchester-based company we are delighted to be appointed as the contractor to deliver the civil engineering works for Mayfield Park.

“To work on such an important, stand-out scheme for the North of England is incredibly exciting for our team and our extensive Manchester based supply chain as well. We committed to working in partnership with communities to deliver real and measurable social value to local residents and all stakeholders via apprenticeships and other grassroots initiatives.”

The creation of Mayfield Park, which will open to the public in autumn 2022, is the first phase of the long-term vision to create a thriving, mixed-used urban neighbourhood in the heart of Manchester city centre, next to Piccadilly Station and the proposed new HS2 hub.

The park and new commercial buildings at Mayfield will sit alongside a range of historic buildings, including the landmark former station on Fairfield Street, which are being retained and redeveloped as part of the wider regeneration plans.

The long-term proposals will enhance many of the site’s historic features. The vast depot building has already been transformed into a new cultural venue, Depot Mayfield, which contributed to bringing 330,000 visitors to Mayfield in 2019, after more than 30 years of decline.

Overall, the Mayfield regeneration scheme – one of the largest in the UK – is set to transform a previously derelict part of Manchester’s industrial heritage to deliver 1,500 homes, 1.6m sq ft of market-leading commercial space, 300,000 sq ft of retail and leisure facilities and 11 acres of new public realm.

It is being led by the Mayfield Partnership, a public-private venture comprising regeneration specialist U+I, Manchester City Council, Transport for Greater Manchester and developer LCR.