Work has begun on a huge new £23 million park in Manchester city centre

Construction is now underway to create Manchester’s fist city centre park in 100 years.

Mayfield Park is a 6.5-acre space costing £23 million that first got the green light back in August.

Described as a ‘beautifully designed and safe urban oasis’ and a ‘once-in-a-generation opportunity’, the park is part of the regeneration of the abandoned area between Manchester Piccadilly Station and the Mancunian Way.

The joint formation of a public-private venture in 2016 of Manchester City Council, Transport for Greater Manchester, developer LCR and regeneration specialist U+I promised a breakthrough of the redevelopment.

The Mayfield Partnership is set to be unveiled over the next 10-15 years, creating thousands of homes, offices and commercial spaces.

The first phase includes the park, two commercial buildings and a multi-storey car park, and planning was approved in February.

The project also received £23 million from the government’s ‘Getting Building Fund’.

Leaders have hailed the start of construction as a historic moment for Manchester and one of the largest schemes in the UK.

Sir Richard Leese – Leader of Manchester City Council – said: “There are some development projects that have such transformational potential that we await their beginning with great anticipation.

“Mayfield is most definitely one of them.

“This part of the city centre has been under-used for decades and it’s brilliant that we can now celebrate the first shovels going in the ground on the new city park and a green sanctuary at the heart of our city – followed closely by significant investment in new commercial space and new homes.

“Mayfield is a project of exceptional ambition.

“And ambition is the very tonic we need as we navigate our way out of the COVID-19 pandemic towards economic recovery – in part through high-quality, impactful investment in our city, such as this.”

Andy Burnham added: “I’m so pleased to see ground broken on the Mayfield Park development.

“If we needed a reminder of the importance of accessible green spaces and the benefits they can bring for our mental and physical wellbeing, this year certainly brought one.

“A new public park can give a real lift to this part of Manchester, creating important new community assets and jobs. As part of a much wider vision for the city centre, it can help to boost our economic recovery and transform urban space for the people who live, work, and do business here.”

Park upkeep will be maintained by The Mayfield Partnership to ensure it becomes an ‘exemplar urban public green space’. There will also be the creation of the ‘Friends of Mayfield Park’ group that will be launched early next year to ensure ‘full community involvement and wide public engagement’.

The majority of the park is set to be built within two years and could open as early as 2023 – fingers crossed!

You can find out more here.