Kier Property has secured a double deal in Manchester City Centre and revealed it will begin work on an 80,000 sq ft office project on Fountain Street in 2017.

Kier Group’s development arm will revamp Oldfellows House, which it brought from Aberdeen Asset Management, to provide floor plates of between 10,211 sq ft and 11,668 sq ft. There will also be two retail units on the ground floor.

When finished, Oddfellows House will be known as Eleven York Street. Furthermore, Kier Property has sold nearby 81 Fountain Street to real estate investment firm Aprirose.

Constructed in 1988, a comprehensive refurbishment of the 40,100 sq ft property is underway and should complete in December.

Managing Director for Kier Property (North), Tom Gilman, commented: “These two deals demonstrate the high demand for office space in the heart of Manchester, and we are excited to be involved in the transformation of the transformation of the CBD.

“We have been looking for the right opportunity for some time and Eleven York Street provides us with a perfect platform to break into Manchester and expand our already successful northern operations.

“81 Fountain Street is a fantastic space, and the sale demonstrates the demand for high quality office space.”

Managing Director of CBRE, John Ogden, advised Kier on the purchase of Eleven York Street. He said: “With a number of high profile lease events over the coming 18 months there are certainly some high calibre suitors for this highly desirable HQ opportunity.”

Last month, Kier announced the completion of the disposal of Mouchel Consulting to WSP Global Inc. for £75 million cash.

Mouchel Consulting, bought in June last year as part of Kier’s acquisition of Mouchel, provides engineering, environmental and asset management consultancy services, principally to infrastructure markets.

Kier announced in July that it was undertaking an evaluation of the strategic options for the Mouchel Consulting business including a possible disposal.