Asda set to open '£3 million' Express store in tower where renters pay £935 a month to share kitchens

Asda is set to open-up shop inside Manchester’s newest co-living tower.

The supermarket will open one of its Express convenience stores at the base of Manchester Square Gardens, a £450 million development sandwiched between First Street and Mancunian Way. Home to several skyscrapers, including the 45-storey Acer Tower, it is set to house thousands of people, including 555 students.

Asda’s ‘£2.5 million to £3 million’ bid to open a corner shop from 7am to 11pm daily was approved by Manchester City Council at a short licensing hearing on Monday (May 13). Only one objection was received, from a nearby off-licence.

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“Having taken into consideration the written objection,” concluded committee chair Coun Paul Andrews, “we have decided Asda is an appropriate applicant and you will fulfil the licensing objectives and we will grant it as applied for.”

The Square Gardens project ‘topped out’ in December of last year, and now it appears to be nearing reality. As well as Asda’s arrival, developers Downing have released prices for its housing options.

A one-bedroom apartment is £2,120 per month, with studios starting at £1,540 but going up to £1,845 per month. To get a room in the co-living section of the development, where residents will share amenities in a similar manner to university halls, prices start at £935 per month for an en-suite room, which are 145 sq ft on average.

It isn’t the only co-living development in the city, with Union recently opening in the St John’s area of the city.