Back in 2016 property developer Capital & Centric got the green light to restore and redevelop the Grade-II listed Crusader Mill. The Manchester-based social impact developer set out to transform the 19th century former garment factory into a new city centre residence made up of 201 apartments.
The £25m development, which featured in the BBC2 documentary Manctopia, made headlines for giving locals first dibs on the apartments and banning investors, which led to Mancunians queueing from 7am in a bid to snap up a flat. But as work began the developer was hit with huge delays due to structural issues and the pandemic, and eventually the site's contractor went bust.
This left those who had reserved an apartment in the early stages waiting years until they were finally handed their keys. Ben Whiteley, 36 and Marc Chapman, 41, are amongst the first residents living in the brand new Piccadilly East development. The couple moved into their two-bed duplex in February this year, having paid their reservation fee back in July 2018.
