Ronaldo under fire as £27m hotel plan turns into an eyesore
CRISTIANO RONALDO has been accused of ruining a historical area of Manchester city centre after allowing a building he bought to transform into a four star hotel go to rack and ruin.
The Mail on Sunday can reveal the much celebrated footballer has been lambasted by the city’s council for not beginning any work on 67 Piccadilly, after promising to reinvent it as an 11-storey luxury block as part of a £27million project.
Furious council bosses now think the poor state of the property, built in 1907, will stop other businesses investing in the area. And following an application to continue to place
‘Poor impression of area and detracts investment’
an advertising sign at the site, the authority hit back at the Manchester United star.
A report seen by this newspaper says: ‘The City Council considers the continued approvals for the advert could delay potential development due to the income generated from the advertisement, which would cause the site to remain vacant for longer by disincentivising development.’
The report adds that this would see the building ‘further deteriorate’ and prevent the ‘public benefits from the site’s redevelopment being realised’.
It says: ‘It would give a poor impression of the area to a large number of people and could detract from investment.
‘The continued display would also facilitate the retention of the scaffold and delay redevelopment of the vacant site and refurbishment of the building by at least another two years.’
Ronaldo, 37, purchased the property a year before he returned to Manchester United in August 2021 – 18 years after making his debut for the Premier League club – with his Spanish fiancee Georgina Rodriguez, 28, and their children in tow.
Sources close to the Portuguese star say he feels an ‘affinity’ to the city and wants to put it on the map globally by opening a hotel as part of his Pestana chain – he already has hotels in London and Lisbon.
One said: ‘Cristiano and Georgina love Manchester, it is a home from home, particularly for him. They want to entice others to the city so they can see its gems too.’
The building was in a state of disrepair for 15 years but its fortunes changed in 2020 when Ronaldo won planning permission to turn it into a futuristic hotel.
It was reportedly due to open in 2023 and is expected to employ more than 900 people and add £56million to the local economy.
If it goes ahead, the hotel is to boast 151 bedrooms, with accommodation expected to cost between £130 and £250 per night.
Ronaldo and his representatives were approached for comment.