Developer Gape Equity has acquired the 117,000 sq ft property in Grange Road, which houses a number of retailers, and is looking to add 70 apartments to the upper floors. Tony McDonough reports
A commercial building in the centre of Birkenhead will be given a new lease of life in a multi-million pound project unveiled by developer Gape Equity.
Nottingham-based Gape, a subsidiary of ALB Investments, has acquired the 117,000 sq ft building in Grange Road which is already home to leading high street retailers New Look, Barclays and TK Maxx.
The plan will see the first and second floors converted from office to residential use with the creation of 70 one and two-bedroom apartments. Three of the six ground floor retail units are currently empty and gate aims to find new tenants for the space.
The firm has become well known for its regeneration of urban buildings in and around the Midlands. Managing director, Arran Bailey, said: “We’re well accustomed to the development of dual-purpose buildings, with residential flats on the upper floors and commercial operations at street level – so this new acquisition in Birkenhead dovetails very nicely with our key area of expertise.”
Mr Bailey believes that the building’s location, on a pedestrianised corner of St John Street and Grange Road, adjacent to Birkenhead’s Pyramids Shopping Centre, is also a plus, adding: “As the Wirral’s primary town, just a stone’s from Liverpool, Birkenhead has a lot going for it.
“It has all the transport links you could want, allied to lots of footfall for local businesses and plenty of appeal as a place to live.”