Ashfield begins Harrogate project for Rushbond
Work is now under way to convert the Herald Buildings, once home to the Harrogate Advertiser, into apartments and retail space.
Yorkshire property company Rushbond, well versed in heritage conversions, has tasked contractor Ashfield Projects with the renovation of its asset, originally developed in the 1850s.
SPX Architects has designed the project, which will include four retail units and five apartments, including a penthouse. The wider project team also includes Richard Boothroyd & Associates, Topping Engineers and HG Consulting Engineers.
Newspaper publisher the Harrogate Advertiser moved out in 1990.
Most recently, the building operated as a bar for nearly 30 years before closing in 2021. Rushbond acquired it in 2021.
Rushbond said that the new retail spaces will complement the existing mix of more than 50 boutique, high-quality shops located in Harrogate’s Montpellier district, home to the original Betty’s Tearoom.
The apartments, which will benefit from views of the town’s famous Montpellier Hill, will be marketed under Rushbond’s new housebuilding arm – Fallowdale Homes – and are expected to be ready to move into from spring 2025.
Richard Gough, project manager at Rushbond, said: “We are excited to have begun work on this iconic local landmark. The renovations will create a sustainable, long-term use for these significant buildings, offering future generations of people the opportunity to live and work in this locally designated heritage asset.
“We hope that by breathing new life into this historic building, the much-loved Montpellier neighbourhood in Harrogate will be further enhanced with new retail spaces to be enjoyed by a growing community of residents.”
The Herald Buildings is part of Rushbond’s portfolio of heritage assets, which also includes the grade one-listed Corn Exchange, Majestic and Bank House in Leeds, the latter acquired in November last year.
Rushbond’s current projects also include new homes and community spaces in Wakefield’s Civic Quarter and a new residential community at Hardwick Grange in Sedgefield, County Durham.
