Colin Gannon
The construction of a hotel beside an Irish centre in Manchester is “very exciting news” that proves there are novel ways struggling centres can generate incomes and avoid closures, according to one of the centre’s committee members.
Construction started on a large hotel next to the Irish World Heritage Centre in Manchester last month. The main contractor for the £6.5m, 135-bedroom hotel, which is due to open later this year, is Truman Design & Build.
The Irish World Heritage Centre is a major base for Manchester’s Irish community, offering a diverse programme of cultural activities alongside conference and events facilities.
Martin Logan, of The Irish World Heritage Centre, said that it is “great” for the Irish community in the area because it shows the centre is “progressing”.
“We don’t want the centre closing down and we want to see it there for another generation to come,” he said.
The hotel’s construction is part of a wider regeneration project in the Cheatham Hill and Crumpsall area, and is set to boost local employment in the area by creating dozens of jobs.
“There is a sense of relief, a sense of excitement – we’re all looking forward to job creation in the area as well,” Logan said.
The centre gets a lot of wedding receptions, Logan told the Irish World, and people often inquire about staying over.
“Hopefully we’ll bring custom to the hotel and the hotel brings customers to the centre,” he added.
“We’re always looking to doing something different. A lot of Irish centres are struggling up and down the country and the hotel is one thing. We’re also looking at big events…summer events and festivals to bring more families and [people] from a wider circle – Cheshire and Lancashire – to the centre.”
It is not clear which brand the hotel will operate under and Truman say this will named “in due course”.
Along with the design and construction phases, Truman will also fit out the hotel, which is being developed on a derelict 1.8-acre site on Irish Town Way in Cheetham Hill. Further works will include extensive landscaping and parking for 110 vehicles.
The firm’s team is led by executive chairman Mike Peden, commercial director David Wheeler, project director Dan Lewis and design manager Nick Riley.
Truman targets projects across a variety of sectors, including hotels and leisure, student accommodation, commercial, industrial and healthcare, with a focus on schemes within a 100-mile radius of Manchester.
“We are excited to be on site for the construction and fit-out of the new hotel next to the Irish World Heritage Centre,” Dan Lewis said.
“It is a prestigious scheme which will provide much-needed hotel accommodation for visitors to the complex and to the surrounding area, including Manchester Arena and the city centre.
“We have a team of highly-experienced professionals who are committed to delivering projects safely, on time and on budget. This project further underlines Truman’s credibility in the design, construction and fit-out of prominent developments across the region.”
