Work underway on Tithebarn Street offices

Capital & Centric has started work on the £6m refurbishment of No 12 Tithebarn Street, a 40,000 sq ft 1970s office building in Liverpool city centre.

The site has been derelict for almost 10 years and was acquired by Capital & Centric from Derwent Lodge Properties in April 2013. The speculative refurbishment received a £2.4m grant from European Regional Development Fund and is due to complete early in 2015.

Capital & Centric submitted a revised planning application for the building in September 2013 with Sixtwo Architects, having previously received planning permission for a design from AEW Architects. This was approved in December 2013.

Tim Heatley, director at Capital & Centric, told Place North West that he expected the office to attract the same type of professional services occupier as the nearby Old Hall Street business district. He described the offering as 'something unconventional in a conventional location.'

Heatley said that the company intends to lease out the building for the next decade before considering a sale.

Louise Pearson, development manager at Capital & Centric, said: "This isn't going to the usual bland and boring refurbishment of an office building – there won't be a suspended ceiling or raised floor in sight. Instead we're going to offer something completely fresh, a genuine alternative type of working environment people are used to."

Nick Moss, director at SixTwo Architects, commented: "Sixtwo Architects has created clear added value with a creative design that gives both personality and identity to the development.

"Bringing these types of buildings back into use is not a straight forward as refurbishing more historic building types such as red brick mills. A more considered analysis, identifying the key positive elements to the original building, is paramount to unlocking its potential."

No 12 Tithebarn Street is Capital & Centric's fifth scheme in Liverpool in the past three years. Other schemes include Speke Business Park and Estuary Commerce Park both in south Liverpool.