‘New dawn’ for iconic 14-storey office building ripe for redevelopment

A landmark Bristol office block has come onto the market with agents saying it could be ‘repositioned’ as apartments or a hotel.

Fourteen-storey Clifton Heights on The Triangle has been a feature on the city’s skyline since the 1960s, when it was built as an upmarket apartment complex.

Situated close to the area’s bars, cafes and upmarket shops, the 71,767 sq ft building has since proved a popular office location for businesses over the decades.

Along with its Grade A office space, it also has retail and leisure on its ground floor, including The Brass Pig pub and the long-running Bristol branch of the Forbidden Planet comic book chain.

Bristol-based commercial property consultancy Hartnell Taylor Cook has been appointed to market the building with London commercial real estate advisory Griffiths Eccles. They are seeking offers in excess of £16m.

It is the first time in more than two decades that Clifton Heights has been brought to market and, according to the agents, its sale marks a new dawn for the landmark building, “presenting a unique opportunity to reposition a prime building in a top UK city”.

They added that there was potential to “repurpose and extend the site as a residential scheme, student accommodation or hotel development, subject to planning, or continue as offices”.

Initial appraisals suggest the potential for the building to be transformed into 119 apartments, 261 student studios or a 238-bed hotel, they said.

There was also the possibility for an additional 22,825 sq ft of space as part of the redevelopment plans.

Hartnell Taylor Cook investment partner Ian Lambert said Clifton Heights was “competitively placed in one of the most expensive residential markets in the UK [and] the site promises to drive significant returns.”

“The opportunity to reposition the property is really unparalleled. Set against a backdrop of strong economic growth in Bristol and amid a young and dynamic population, we’re really excited to see where Clifton Heights takes us.”

Some 26,830 sq ft of office space in the building is currently vacant and available for occupation.

As well as its panoramic views of the city, the building also has cycle storage, shower facilities, four lifts and secure parking for 58 vehicles.