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Birmingham building brought back to life for city living

A landmark building within Birmingham’s Southside district is set to be brought back into use as part of plans to restore and transform it for modern city living.

The 1950s Priory House has stood empty on the corner of Kent Street and Gooch Street North for eight years but is now set to be fully restored with its conversion to new apartments under a scheme proposed by Rainier Developments Limited.

The company acquired Priory House in a major seven figure deal earlier this year and has now submitted plans to Birmingham City Council for the scheme which would contribute to the on-going regeneration of Southside.

The proposed scheme would retain and restore the façade including original external signage while creating 79 apartments over the existing seven floors.

The overall interior and mix of one, two and three-bed apartments would reflect the period and industrial style of the property.

Provision has been made for internal amenity space for residents such as a gym, along with a courtyard garden at the rear of the building, and secure cycle and car parking and at basement level. Some of the apartments would also have private external amenity space.

The 77,000 sq ft building was home to the Forensic Science Service for more than 40 years before it closed in 2012.

Grant Stevenson, planning director of Rainier Developments based in Henley-in-Arden, said: “Our proposed conversion of Priory House is the latest piece in the jigsaw of the wider regeneration of the area.

“Priory House is a landmark mid-century building in the Southside district and our intention has always been to maintain and restore its character whilst creating modern and high-quality accommodation which reflects the period of the property.

“We have been proactively engaging with Birmingham City Council and local stakeholders in preparation for submitting this scheme which will make a positive impact by bringing a prominent building back to life in a manner which we believe is sensitive to its past, and sympathetic to the wider neighbourhood and night-time economy within Southside.”

Rainier Developments, an independent land and development company, is currently developing other apartment schemes in Birmingham, Coventry and Crawley.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Matt Joyce .