Developers, constructors and investors have celebrated after a 440-home build-to-rent development in the shadow of Old Trafford's football and cricket stadiums reached its highest point.
The 'topping out' ceremony at Lumina Village was attended by bosses from developer Glenbrook, the Moorfield Group, Greater Manchester Pension Fund – both investors in the scheme – Domis Construction, Trafford council and property companies Bruntwood and CBRE.
Work started on the project more than a year ago as part of a funding agreement between Glenbrook and Moorfield.
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Located on the site of the former Kellogg's headquarters office building, Lumina Village is a £250m mixed-use scheme by joint venture partners, Trafford council and Bruntwood.
Glenbrook is the developer of the £120m build-to-rent element of the new neighbourhood, named Podium.
It comprises 440 one to three-bedroom apartments and three- and four-bedroom townhouses all exclusively for private rent, aimed at young families and professionals
This phase of the project also includes the delivery of a significant proportion of the public realm, including the central village green.
Podium is Moorfield's third such investment in Manchester, with previous investments including The Trilogy in Castlefield (sold in 2021) and Duet in Salford Quays (sold in 2022), which were part of a 1,000-plus home portfolio assembled between 2012 and 2017.
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Lumina Village is a key part of Trafford council's Civil Quarter Area Action Plan, which aims to deliver 4,000 new homes, half a million sq ft of commercial space, public realm improvements, and new infrastructure on a 120-acre neighbourhood stretching from Trafford College past the Town Hall and Lancashire Cricket Club up to the A56/Chester Road and White City retail park.
Council leader, Cllr Tom Ross, who was present at the event, said: "Lumina Village is a fabulous scheme on a crucial site in the borough next to Lancashire County Cricket Club and Trafford Town Hall.
"I am delighted to be celebrating this important milestone which will see the building of 440 Build-to-Rent properties. Trafford Council is totally committed to the building of more new and affordable homes throughout the borough to help tackle the current housing crisis."
Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA) has supported the delivery of the whole scheme through a grant from its Brownfield Land devolution scheme.
Stuart McCrone, projects director at Glenbrook, said: "Lumina Village is a hugely important project for the area; one that will provide a wide range of housing tenures and create public spaces that people can use and enjoy for years to come. Reaching this key milestone is a testament to the dedication, collaboration and expertise of our entire project team."
Karl Dobson, project director at Domis Construction, said: "Topping out is always a significant project milestone as we now push on towards completion of these much-needed new homes. Our team has extensive experience of delivering Build-to-Rent schemes in the North West area, and we are proud to be involved in bringing this part of Lumina Village to life."
Hugh Canham at Moorfield Group added: "This is a special milestone, with Podium being our third build-to-rent investment in Greater Manchester and marking our re-entrance into the sector.
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"We have taken our experience from delivering and operating some 10,000 residential units for rent and student units and incorporated our latest brand standards to create a customer-focused offering that will enjoy a very attractive garden podium courtyard and extensive amenities."
The first blocks of the build-to-rent element of Lumina Village are working towards a completion date in the summer of 2026, with the overall development expected to conclude later in the year. Caddick Construction are currently delivering the adjacent affordable phase at Lumina Village, which will deliver 199 homes comprising a mix of shared ownership and social rent, on behalf of Clarion Housing Group.