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Legal & General announces that it has sold its stake in MediaCity, Europe’s leading, digital, media and tech hub to LandSec, as part of its dynamic approach to recycling profits and investing in new projects which are reviving town and city centres across the UK.
3 Nov 2021
Wes Erlam, Director of Urban Regeneration at Legal & General Capital: “Complementing our significant wider regeneration of Salford, MediaCity is a successful example of our dynamic approach to recycling profits as we continue to put our capital to work, investing in new projects which are reviving town and city centres across the UK.Working in close partnership with Peel, and leveraging our combined deep sector expertise, since our investment in 2015 we have together added over 600,000 sq ft of built accommodation and are in a position today where MediaCity has welcomed over 2,500 residents and 8,000 workers to this landmark media and tech hub. And in Greater Manchester as a whole, we have invested over £400 million into new homes, life sciences and media and technology. As MediaCity now reaches its next stage of maturity, this sale enables us to release growth capital for deployment into new opportunities, as we continue to identify early stage projects and ventures where we can create significant value.”
The waterside destination is home to some of the world’s most exciting creative, tech and media brands, from BBC North and ITV to Ericsson, The Hut Group, Kellogg’s and over 250 creative and tech businesses as well as schools and universities. The biggest tech and media hub outside London, MediaCity produces 50,000 hours of content every year, and is home to 8,000 residents and workers.
Phase one was completed 10 years ago and comprises 1.48m sq ft across 11 buildings including work space, studios, incubator labs, residential as well as ancillary leisure and retail. Phase two has already seen the completion of two residential towers – ‘The Green Rooms’ and ‘The Lightbox’ as well as the award-winning mixed-use commercial space, the ‘Tomorrow building’.
Legal & General Capital (LGC) is Legal & General Group’s alternative asset platform, creating assets for Legal & General Retirement and third-party clients in order to achieve improved risk-adjusted returns for our shareholders. LGC has built its capabilities in a range of alternative sectors, including in residential property; specialist commercial real estate; clean energy; alternative credit; and venture capital, which are all supported by long-term structural growth drivers, meet a financing gap, and respond to a scarcity of supply that is underpinned by enduring societal needs.
Established in 1836, Legal & General is one of the UK’s leading financial services groups and a major global investor, with £1.2 trillion in total assets under management (as at FY23) of which c40% (circa £0.5 trillion) is international.
We have a highly synergistic business model, which continues to drive strong returns. We are a leading international player in Institutional Retirement, in Retail Savings and Protection, and in both public and private markets through our Asset Management division. Across the Group, we are committed to responsible investing and dedicated to serving the long-term savings and investment needs of customers and society.
As at 7 June 2024, we estimate the Group’s Solvency II coverage ratio to be 224%.
As at 11 June 2024, Legal & General has a market capitalisation of £14.6 billion.