Conversion of former council offices to residential almost complete
A two-storey roof extension on former council offices being transformed into a residential scheme in the centre of Liverpool has been completed.
And developer, Signature Living, says all 117 studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments have been sold to individual owners, with around 40 of them now complete.
The two-floor roof extension has been constructed using a lightweight steel framing system, which sits atop the existing structure.
The extension will be covered in non-combustible cladding. The existing building retains the original brick face facade.
Kingsway House is a vacant 1960s six-storey office building on Hatton Garden, between the city centre’s Dale Street and Tithebarn Street. It acted as a shelter for the city’s homeless during the winter of 2018.
Work on site is now 75% complete, but Signature Living is currently awaiting planning permission later this month for a further 17 units in the undercroft of the building.
A further planning application will be submitted later in the year for three more apartments in the roof of the building.
Signature Living owner, Lawrence Kenwright, said: “Throughout the disruption of 2020 work has continued on the conversion of Kingsway House and we have made good progress despite having reduced staff numbers because of the pandemic.
“Bringing the building back into use after a number of years of lying vacant is vital to Liverpool’s ongoing regeneration and will help to reanimate this part of Liverpool’s business district, adding to the mix of residential accommodation in the city centre.”
The business is also behind a range of North West hotel venues and Mr Kenwright added: “Hospitality is one of the sectors that has been hit most severely over the last 12 months, so we have had no choice but to work harder in preparation for when we can open up again. It’s meant we have had to be resilient and also to innovate, to adapt plans and adopt new ways of working.
“When we first purchased this building, retail and office space were still deemed as very secure investments, but today their values have decreased drastically.
“However, we have had to embrace it rather than accept a bleak future. Encouragingly we are seeing the fruits of our labour with some big steps being taken on all of our projects.”
