Capital&Centric is set to transform Plymouth’s Grade II-listed Civic Centre tower into 144 build-to-rent apartments as part of a major city-centre regeneration scheme.
The 14-storey landmark on Armada Way will be retrofitted to designs by BDP, with a full planning application submitted in March. Early enabling works to remove cladding from the former council headquarters are expected to begin this summer.
Plymouth City Council has now agreed to enter into an agreement for lease with Capital&Centric covering the Civic Centre building, adjacent land next to the Council House and part of the Council House car park.
Heads of terms are currently being finalised to allow the developer to complete the residential conversion and operate the homes under a 199-year lease arrangement.
The long-delayed scheme has already secured more than £18m in support from Homes England to fund major remediation works. These include concrete frame repairs, fire safety upgrades, structural strengthening, roof works, façade replacement and the demolition and refurbishment of surrounding low-rise buildings.
The council previously confirmed plans to appoint a principal contractor before the end of the year to deliver the remediation phase of the project.
Once complete, the apartments will be operated under Capital&Centric’s rental brand Ollo, offering amenities including a gym, resident events and app-based services.
Capital&Centric said it is currently investing around £3m per week across eight live construction sites. Last year, the developer also launched an £860m Impact and Places Partnership alongside Swiss Life Asset Managers and Homes England aimed at delivering more than 2,250 homes in underinvested communities across England.
Cllr Mark Lowry, Plymouth city centre champion, said: “This is an exciting new direction for Plymouth’s housing market – these will be high quality units that are built to rent – something which is not currently available here.
John Moffat, joint managing director at Capital&Centric, said: “Plymouth is a city with serious ambition, and the Civic Centre is the kind of project we love getting stuck into.
“It’s a building that means something to people; you can’t walk past it without noticing it. Now we’re taking on the challenge of giving it a future that lives up to that.”