The three upper floors will become 26 apartments, and the ground floor retail revamped. Credit: via Candid PR

Priestley begins office-to-resi conversion

30 August 2023 13:10 Neil Tague Comments (0)

Marygate House in Wakefield city centre is to undergo a £2.5m transformation designed by PDG Architects.

Main contractor Priestley Construction has now started work on the design and build project, which will see the 1970s block converted into 26 apartments over three floors.

In addition, the existing ground floor retail units will be upgraded with new shop fronts and canopies, to create a rejuvenated streetscape.

Also working for developer IP Marygate House is Bingley-0based Holdgate Consulting Engineers. Design firm PDG is based in Leeds.

The development will offer a selection of studio apartments, as well as one- and two-bedroom homes, ready to move into early in summer 2024.

Nathan Priestley, chief executive of the Priestley Group, said: “As a Yorkshire-based business, we continue to see the huge potential in the region’s smaller towns and cities, such as Wakefield, which is a city on the up, driven by a council that is committed to bringing its ambitious regeneration plans to life.

“We are thrilled to start work giving Marygate House a new lease of life, as well as significantly enhancing the local street scene in a sought-after part of the city centre, within the main retail centre and close to the historic Civic Quarter.

“Our experience in delivering high quality residential developments in key city centre locations has enabled us to create a vision for a scheme that will be a fantastic place to live, as well as being a valuable asset for both Marygate and Wakefield as a whole.”

Other projects Priestley is engaged on include converting a grade two-listed school building into 83 apartments on Great George Street in Leeds and refurbishing the ground floor of Conditioning House in Bradford city centre into office space and a gym, introducing seven industrial units alongside it.

The company is working on another grade two-listed conversion at The Old Post Office in Harrogate, which is being transformed into 23 serviced apartments, and is also busy with high-end projects in Cheshire and Islington.