Legal & General acquires BTR tower on behalf of two flagship funds

The deal represents the Managed Fund’s first BTR acquisition as part of a sustained push into alternative sectors. Previous investments include the purchase of hotels, healthcare facilities and student accommodation. The Managed Fund, launched in 1971, has grown by £2bn in the last six years to a current value of £3.4bn.

For the UK Property Fund, this acquisition represents a further strengthening of its exposure to operational assets, including the recent acquisition of a 189-flat BTR site in Chelmsford and 14,000 sq ft. of lettable self-storage space across three sites. Since its launch in 2006, the UK Property Fund has grown from £100m to around £3bn today, with its success underpinned by a blended and high quality portfolio of assets.

Designed by world renowned architects SimpsonHaugh, North Tower sits at the heart of the Deansgate Square development, a cluster of four elegant residential towers surrounded by carefully curated amenity, commercial and public realm spaces. North Tower provides 276 luxury apartments of one-, two- and three-bedrooms, across 37 storeys. Residents will benefit from exclusive access to an unrivalled amenity building which includes a two-storey gym, 20m swimming pool, sauna, steam room, fitness studios and a full size indoor sports hall.

The building was purchased from the developer, Renaker; one of the UK’s leading property developers with a proven track record in design, build and delivery. CBRE advised on the transaction.

Manchester is widely regarded as a ‘beta’ global city, being one of the most economically influential places in the UK outside of London. The city continues to see sustained investor interest, a result of both of its forecasted 14% population growth over the next 20 years – equating to an additional 76,000 people – and its diverse employment profile.

LGIM Real Assets has a strong track record in the BTR sector, which continues to form an integral part of its wider platform. Across the business, it now has 16 UK-wide sites in operation and development. North Tower represents Legal & General’s second BTR acquisition in Deansgate Square with the adjacent West Tower purchased by its BTR Fund in April 2019. West Tower is currently around 72% let, exceeding the leasing velocity expected for the acquisition.