NOMA (Manchester)

NOMA (a portmanteau of North and Manchester) is an £800 million, 20-acre (8-hectare) mixed-use redevelopment scheme in Manchester. It is the largest development project in North West England ahead of developments such as MediaCityUK and Atlantic Gateway. NOMA focuses on revitalising and opening the northern area of Manchester city centre which has not undergone the redevelopment seen in other central areas of the city. The Co-operative Group, the company backing the scheme, have been based in the Manchester area since their inception in 1843 and hope the development will attract more companies to invest in Manchester as they have done and continue to do. The development involves the creation of 4 million square feet (400,000 square metres) of office, residential, retail, leisure and hotel space. At the heart of the project is the £100 million One Angel Square building, which has been compared to a "sliced egg" due to its distinctive shape and stands at 72 metres (236 feet); it opened in 2013. In April 2014, a joint venture contract was agreed between The Co-operative and Hermes Real Estate to allow the delivery of new phases. Redevelopment of Hanover Building as a low-cost office space and reconstruction of City Buildings (which is currently in scaffolding) into a hotel are expected to commence in 2015. Future developments include a 106 m (348 ft) residential tower, Angel Gardens, and a further office building, 3 Angel Square.