Progressive Living has been chosen as the main contractor on the proposed 36-storey co-living project on Gorton Street, as a deal with Network Rail to acquire the site edges closer to completion.

Contract papers have yet to be signed between Progressive Living and Domis, but the latter is already part of the design team for the Gorton Street scheme, which seeks to bring a hotel and co-living units to the market.

Progressive is understood to be in talks with potential end users at present and therefore has yet to determine the number of co-living clusters or units the 225,000 sq ft scheme would provide.

Warrington-based Domis is building Salboy's 18-storey Queen Street apartment block comprising 115 homes located diagonally opposite the Gorton Street site in Salford.

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The half-acre plot on Gorton Street is owned by Network Rail, and Progressive Living agreed heads of terms last September to acquire the site, currently used as car park.

The deal was expected to conclude before the end of 2019 but has taken longer than anticipated. The parties are now expected to exchange contracts this month, according to David Fairclough, director at Progressive Living.

Once the sale has been completed, Progressive Living will look to "refresh" certain planning documents that are now out of date and submit an application to Salford City Council by the end of May, Fairclough told Place North West.

As well as Domis, the design team includes BDP as architect, Renaissance as civil engineer, Turley as planner and Artal as project and cost consultant.

The proposed tower will reach 36 storeys alongside the railway and include apartments pitched towards millennial occupiers, with amenity spaces and shared kitchen and dining spaces.

A hotel is also planned within the scheme, aiming for an operator targeting a "compact city centre lifestyle hotel", according to Progressive Living.

Eight railway arches are also to be redeveloped as part of the scheme, targeted at retail and leisure operators, while the public realm around the arches will be enhanced.