Midia is a private family owned business that has its provenance in real estate investment and development especially projects formally involving the public sector. The Group prides itself on innovation and social responsibility both in the types of development projects undertaken and in content, design and the enhancement of human resources. A sharp awareness of environmental considerations have whenever possible been coupled with the core values of maximising local employment, training and procurement.
Founded almost forty years ago, Midia’s principals each have a long and successful track record in the development of highly successful projects and have been centrally involved in the North of England’s commercial real estate sector for many years. Midia have wide-ranging experience in the role of principal developer in all primary real estate sectors including retail, industrial, office, leisure and residential in the U.K. Since 1982 we have been involved in the delivery of some significant developments, many of them involving the public sector, which has been a particular strength.
OUR APPROACH
We are extremely selective, focussing on just a few exceptional projects at any one time and for which we believe we can create added value.
These projects are always procured privately and 'off-market'. We do not participate in tendering or bidding for opportunities. We have excellent long-term client relationships from which opportunities regularly emerge.
We also partner.
ABOUT US
The Group has delivered commercial, manufacturing, retail, leisure, cultural and community projects that have been catalysts for generating the social and economic development of many towns, cities and regions. Major public private sector partnership has been a particular strength.
In recent years the Group has moved forward into investment in and the development of ground-breaking projects in the renewable energy sector and, after an absence of many years, is making investment in new manufacturing drawing upon a wealth of experience in the sector.
OUR HISTORY
Midia was originally founded in the early 1980’s by Norman Turner, a well-known and highly respected property entrepreneur. Intercity, his first development company, opened in 1982 and in the same year Sir Matt Busby, Director of Manchester United Football Club, became a Non-Executive Director of Intercity Group.
The following years saw the successfully completion of a wide range of commercial developments for which Norman was the principal in over 40 special purpose investment and development vehicles. These SPVs covered an extremely diverse and extensive range of property transactions including the successful completion on a non-speculative basis over 186,000 square meters of industrial space, 46,000 square meters of prime office location and over 42,000 square meters of retail space for some of Europe’s leading businesses.
Intercity held a strong reputation of close collaboration with the public sector built around Norman’s prior experience as Director of Development with Northern Counties HA and as a private group, it received over £150 million in direct grant aid into its projects.
WHAT WE DO
Midia has successfully undertake all types of real estate development. We are involved in the full investment and development process, which usually starts with occupational or investment demand from a specific client. Typically the size and complexity of our projects mean that a variety of specialisms are needed and many have a multi-national dimension. We offer our clients and partners cost security and assurance together with the programming and project delivery that they need in a commercially competitive environment.
The Group pursues new opportunities and looks for alternative approaches in the development and property investment markets. Midia are now undertaking development services for public sector bodies whilst our major new developments across the U.K. are in close conjunction with international construction partners.
WHERE WE WORK
Midia has historically undertaken major regeneration projects across the north of England with the support of more than €175 million of public funding, including the Manchester Arena which was awarded £27 million of City Grant. Following the July 2016 vote by the U.K. a decision was taken to change the business focus from Central Europe and make a strategic move back to re-enter the real estate investment and development market in the North West of England.
THE TEAM
Midia’s principals hold one of the strongest records for successful urban regeneration partnerships with the public sector spanning more than three decades having previously been directly involved in partnered with Manchester City Council, Liverpool City Council, English Partnerships and central Government to implement urban regeneration projects.
With high value new project portfolios in our development programme and a commitment to institutional grade investment, our skilled in house management team work with international investment consultants, legal specialists, tax planners, and accountants. Our project teams are tier-one consultants and international construction partners to ensure smooth implementation and delivery of our high quality developments.
In addition Midia can call upon the extensive experience of their executive development management team which includes former senior directors of the Bovis Lendlease management team responsible for the delivery of the Trafford Centre, Lowry Centre and Media City in the northwest and many more major projects across the UK.
IN THE U.K.
The Midia Group of Companies established itself as a prolific property development and investment group in the United Kingdom, expanding its commercial development activities initially through a formal association with M.E.P.C. one of the U.K’s largest property investment companies. The Group then developed a partnership with Bovis Lend Lease, jointly undertaking and completing more than twenty major projects totalling over €450 million, the majority of which were in partnership with the public sector.
The Group has contributed to a number of major regeneration projects across the north of England with the support of more than €175 million of public funding including the Manchester Arena with €50 million of City Grant.
Midia also successfully undertook and completed commercial projects with a total cost in excess of €700m. Typical examples include Manchester’s first ‘Business Park’, the 350,000 sq. ft. Towers 2000 in Didsbury, Manchester, while the Group has built and sold large non-food, food retail and office developments for a number of international clients such as Asda, Tesco and Bank of Scotland across the United Kingdom.
An outstanding example of working with the public sector started with the selection of Midia Intercity by Speke Garston Development Company and Liverpool City Council to be their preferred developer for two major schemes. The successful completion of the first projects led to the creation of 3,000 new jobs and development an additional 130,000 sq. m. of industrial and business space at a cost of €300 million.
Speke-Garston was an area in Merseyside near Liverpool, U.K. with severe social problems, large unemployment numbers and few apparent opportunities to reverse the social decline it had experienced. After being granted Objective One funding from the European Union in the mid-nineties, Liverpool City Council in partnership with the North West Development Agency created a new public company with the sole responsibility of managing the large-scale regeneration of the area; Speke Garston Development Company (SGDC) was formed.
The first major opportunity in the area of the SGDC was to develop an industrial supplier park for the Ford Motor Company in Halewood for which Midia Intercity was selected as SGDC’s development partner. The process took less than six months and was undertaken quickly because Ford were considering closing the Halewood site which would have resulted in huge job losses.
SGDC became the Liverpool Land Development Company (LLDC) and it’s remit increased to cover a much wider area of Merseyside with Midia as their exclusive development partners for a number of opportunities throughout its regeneration area. The partnership between Midia Intercity and SGDC/LLDC resulted in approximately €300million of private investment into the area and not only saved jobs at the former Ford Halewood, site which is now a Jaguar production facility, but has also created a location which continues to attract “blue-chip” investors.
Midia went on to invest €190m in the re-configuration of Ford’s car plant at Halewood and secured a partnership with Ford Motor Company and the London Development Agency as part of a regeneration initiative to create Ford Europe’s main diesel engine plant at Dagenham in Essex where Midia arranged the finance to create an Industry Park with a total built area of approximately 60,000 sq m.
CROATIA
In 2009 Midia completed its first development in South Eastern Europe when the first public car park in Dubrovnik is was opened to the public and a new sports hall for the City was donated to the Marin Držić Primary School located next door. A ground-breaking project in every sense, it was always an important infrastructure project for the City of Dubrovnik and has already eased local traffic congestion. The real benefits will be seen during the peak season, with over 700 secure parking spaces enhancing Dubrovnik’s accessibility as a tourist destination.
Situated at Ilijina Glavica, an attractive location only a few minutes walk from Stradun, the very centre of the Old City of Dubrovnik, this new public car park is the result of one of the first public-private partnerships ever contracted in Croatia and one of its goals has been to improve the quality of life for the citizens of Dubrovnik. The project started 2005 and successfully overcame many challenges on the way to completion.
THE POWERHOUSE HOTEL PROGRAMME
Three years ago, Midia created a division dedicated solely to hotel development. That entity, Midia Investors Limited, is populated by a skilled team with combined expertise of real estate development and hotel management. Midia Investors Ltd. With its carefully selected single core group of consultants is ideally structured to deliver hotel projects that benefit from the efficiencies of a serial contracting approach.
The Powerhouse Hotel Programme is delivering a portfolio of new IHG hotels in the North of England on a non-speculative basis. This is a major property development project being undertaken by Midia Investors, one which extends Midia’s existing relationship with IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group PLC) and includes a range of IHG’s iconic brands; Holiday Inn Express, Hotel Indigo, voco™ and Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants.
Midia Investors is working collaboratively with the Government, Local Authorities, Investors, IHG and partners to deliver the £540 million programme, It is a unique and exciting opportunity, one of the largest post COVID-19 real estate projects in the UK and one that has secured full UK Government and Department of International Trade approval.
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