The developer behind some of the UK’s most significant regeneration projects, including the Victoria North neighbourhood in Manchester, has today announced the launch of its new in-house operational brand, Found.
Bringing together the management of both its commercial and residential assets, Found’s two sub-brands, Found Living and Found Spaces, will focus on placemaking and customer experience, creating an end-to-end service for all customers.
FEC’s development ethos is to take a long-term approach to all investments and working closely with the people and businesses that call these areas home. Adding operational management marks the final piece in the puzzle that will now see people and communities supported throughout the entire development lifecycle.
By creating one service offering for both commercial and residential operations, FEC believes that the Found brand will create a unique service proposition for residents that puts their experience at the heart of everything it does, with all sales, lettings and property management services brought under one roof.
In tandem, Found Spaces will create a holistic approach for commercial customers across its portfolio and support the growth of the neighbourhoods it is operating within. This includes using meanwhile spaces, activating unused areas and integrating with existing communities throughout the development process, six-twelve months before completion of any residential assets.
This approach is already underway at Victoria North, FEC’s £1bn joint venture with Manchester City Council that will see 15,000 new homes delivered over the next decade. It has seen its Red Bank neighbourhood become an exciting destination already, with a number of unique and independent operators calling the neighbourhood home. From nationally recognised high-end F&B brands such as The Spärrows, to locally recognised brands like Half Dozen Other and Grub, Red Bank has already become a thriving community for businesses and those looking to socialise in the city’s most up and coming neighbourhood.
To support this community integration, Found has also launched Arch 19 at Red Bank, which will be used to host pop-ups, community activations and third-party events to draw more people to the area and provide a place that the wider Victoria North community can also use.
Gemma Price, Managing Director, Found, said: “As developers of the some of the UK’s most high-profile regeneration projects, we are acutely aware of our responsibility to both support existing communities and provide sustainable improvements to the existing neighbourhoods. That is why creating one, in-house operational brand was so important, to ensure that we can take people on that journey with us and create places that bring people together and enhance what already exists. Found will allow us to unite our residents, businesses and the wider communities we operate within given our position as a 360 lifestyle operator who is focused on experience, above all else.”
Gavin Taylor, Regional General Manager, FEC Manchester, added: “It’s an incredibly exciting time for FEC as we take the bold step into creating a truly end-to-end offering for all of our customers, from residents through to investment partners. This unique holistic approach will help us to drive better investment opportunities for our stakeholders and drive further inward investment into the cities we operate within, supporting their long-term growth.”