Talk:Sackville Street

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[edit] How is Sackville Street Notable?

I think this article needs to note the importance of this street. As far as I know its just a pretty insignificant side street Pit-yacker 18:31, 13 January 2007 (UTC)

The street isn't notable in itself, but there is also a notable historic building and observatory on the street, with the building named after the street. I will expand the article with a photograph or two when I can. David 20:51, 14 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Who owns the Sackville Street Building?

I'm pretty sure this building is actually owned by the city council. Before the merger of UMIST and VUoM, the main reason trumpeted for the merger was to sell off all land north of the railway line. IIRC it was subsequently found that the University/VUoM/UMIST don't actually own the building - its the city council's. This led to a change of plan to sub-let it for Academic research related companies (possibly spin-offs?) Pit-yacker 21:04, 14 January 2007 (UTC)

That surprises me. Although there are non-university offices/labs inside I thought the building was non-the-less owned by the University. In fact, there is a way of checking - the University of Manchester Act 2004 (I think that's right) has an appendix with all the buildings owned by the new merged institution. Worth a look? David 21:07, 14 January 2007 (UTC)

The act does list UMIST Main building as a property transfered to the new University. However, I do remember it being menitoned before the merger occured that it had been discovered the University didnt actually own the building. As I say above the original plan was to sell the building, but this had to be changed, apparently because of this. Pit-yacker 21:18, 14 January 2007 (UTC)

Extraordinary! So the building was saved (from a student's point of view) because the University wasn't sure that they actually owned it?! Wow! David 21:28, 14 January 2007 (UTC)

IIUC, these things often start to get very complicated. I remember a media report, when tution fees were introduced in 1998 that the government had deployed its best lawyers to work out whether the country's universities were stated owned or not. No idea about the case of Sackville St Building but it could be City Council paid money towards it??? Pit-yacker 21:34, 14 January 2007 (UTC)