New lease of life for iconic building following transformational refurb
An iconic Grade II-listed Merseyside building is set to welcome its first tenants after a key refurbishment by developer, Nicholson Group.
The Beecham’s Building, on Westfield Street, St Helens, is the former headquarters of the Beecham pharmaceutical giant, once a major St Helens employer.
The building dates back to the 1880s and was the first factory in the world built specifically to produce medicine.
CEO of Nicholson Group, Paul Nicholson has worked closely with St Helens Council, Heritage and Rotary St Helens with a focus firmly on heritage.
Nicholson said: “This magnificent Grade II-listed building has now been rejuvenated by the group’s highly skilled and dedicated team after lying dormant, enabling the Beecham’s Building to become a place in which to live and work.”
The building has been developed into a mixed-use scheme of 18 residential apartments (seven one-bedroom and 11 two-bedroom), a ground floor commercial space and a partial retention of offices.
Plans also included an alteration to the site’s vehicle access and minimal external alterations to facilitate the conversion.
Nicholson added: “The retention of offices now act as our HQ and concierge for our new residents with a unique opportunity for a discerning operator to occupy the commercial space. There were minimal external alterations, only external LED lighting to give a modern twist and bespoke replacement of all windows, which were made by hand on site by an artisan window craftsman, allowing for double and triple glazed units.
“Electric gates to create a gated residential community are to be installed shortly.”
Paul Nicholson and Mary Presland
One of the building’s many features includes a clock designed by Beecham’s Building architect, H.V. Krolow, in 1887. Nicholson Group is working to restore the workings of the clock as part of the project’s renaissance with local historian and author, 96-year-old Mary Presland, on standby for the relaunch.
Also a former home to St Helens College. the scheme additionally incorporates a parking area to the rear of the building accommodating 17 cars, cycle and motorcycle spaces.
Nicholson Group has delivered more than 100 apartments across six individual projects in the borough. Paul Nicholson said: “Our passion for making a difference, being community-driven and regeneration-focused, working in partnership with civic bodies, is driving our momentum in the town. We’ve spent considerable time over the last 10 years immersing ourselves in the regeneration conversation of St. Helens. Our commitment to the town is reinforced by the fact we have secured further projects in the town.”
