The Sunderland developer behind Sheepfolds Stables has unveiled plans for a £3.5m sister-site in Ulverston.
Architecture, structural and civil engineering firm Building Design [Northern] (BDN) – the business behind the popular Sunderland leisure venue – has started work on a historic former police station, which will be transformed into a multi-use destination.
BDN will breathe new life into the 1881 building – located on the edge of the town centre on Neville Street – that has stood derelict for more than 10 years, creating new workspace, short-stay accommodation and a food and drink destination.
BDN is headquartered in Sunderland, and currently operates a second office out of Ulverston Business Centre. Its North West team will relocate into the building, which stands in a prominent position on the edge of the town.
In addition to its new workspace, areas that were once used as jail cells will be reimagined into boutique accommodation, while the superintendent’s quarters – the west wing – which was demolished prior to BDN’s acquisition of the site, will house further serviced accommodation, each apartment with its own en-suite and kitchenette space.
The old Courthouse will incorporate a new restaurant pavilion, with a surrounding courtyard of former garages converted into independent commercial space that is expected to attract a range of retail businesses. Further short-stay apartments will be created in the upper floors of the building.
Richard Marsden, managing director of BDN, which is based in the Old Simpson Street School, said: “We’re really proud to start work on a sister site for Sheepfolds Stables in Ulverston, where BDN also has a second office.
“While this will be a quieter, more laid-back version of our Sheepfolds Stables site, and on a smaller scale, we hope it will have just as much impact locally. Our North West team live and breathe Ulverston. It’s brilliant to be able to move ahead with a development that will boost their town centre in the same way that I have been able to bring something new and exciting to my home city of Sunderland, with Sheepfolds Stables.”
As well as providing architectural, structural and civil engineering services to clients across the UK, BDN, which was founded in 1983, has delivered high-end short stay apartments in the Old Simpson Street School, that have proven to be popular year-round, and is also underway with a £15m industrial scheme at Commercial Road, called Eastgate Point.
BDN will deliver the transformation of the police station in Ulverston in two phases, with the first focusing on the main building, which will be reimagined as an office for BDN, large enough to support the expansion of the business, and nine luxury apartments which will be available for short stays. The first phase of work is expected to take between 12 and 18 months to deliver.
