Gary Neville has admitted he made a 'huge mistake' after initially earmarking two historic Manchester city centre buildings for demolition as part of his £400m St Michael's development.
The scheme which has been hailed as a ''defining regeneration project' - involves the creation of hundreds of new homes, a five-star hotel, a public square, offices, and a roof-top restaurant.
Work on the first phase of the mammoth project off Deansgate - a nine-story office block called No 1 St Michael's with restaurant brand Chotto Matte on the rooftop and two food and drink outlets on the ground floor - began in January last year.
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And work on the second phase - a 41-storey tower with a 162-bed, five-star hotel, 217 apartments and 75,000 sq ft of office space is set to begin in the coming works.
In the initial plans, the Sir Ralph Abercromby pub and part of the former Bootle Street police station would have been bulldozed, however, those behind the project u-turned after a backlash from conservationists.
Both will now be kept with the pub, which dates back to the time of the Peterloo Massacre and which is said to have been the inspiration for the pub featured in hit BBC drama Life on Mars, getting a full refurb.
Speaking as further details about the scheme were unveiled yesterday, the former United and England star turned TV pundit and entrepreneur Neville said: '"I recognise the mistake that I made."
He said the 2007 recession and the recent Covid pandemic had affected it but said he took 'full responsibility' for the initial planning issues with the project.
Speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live's Wake Up to Money he said: "I don't know why or how I was thinking that at the time.
"I love old buildings, I have always renovated old buildings, the idea that we looked at that pub and the front of Bootle Street police station and thought we should knock it down, that was a huge mistake."
He added: "I have openly admitted that we got it wrong but we have been corrected and we have owned up to our mistakes and we are now on site."
He was 'proud of the project' which would become a 'global landmark' and would be of massive benefit' to the city.
It is being led by Neville's firm Relentless Developments with stakeholders KKR, Fred Done's Salboy and Manchester City Council.
It is expected to bring £120m investment to Manchester and create more than 3,000 jobs with the council leader describing it as a a 'defining regeneration project for our city centre',
Neville will join BBC business show Dragons' Den as a guest Dragon for this year's series it was announced last week.
