Barteak has completed its £8million Avon House redevelopment in Shirley, marking the biggest single investment in Solihull in recent years.
The 28,500 sq ft office building has undergone a 14-month redevelopment programme to transform both the interior and exterior into contemporary Grade A accommodation.
The first two tenants are Avanti Kitchens & Bedrooms, which will open a flagship showroom on the ground floor in March, and Barteak Developments Ltd, which is relocating its 30-strong construction and development team from Dorridge, taking 3,853 sq ft on the first floor. Barteak is on schedule to take occupation next month.
David Back, managing director of Barteak, said: “There are a handful of 1970’s buildings in the West Midlands which have been given a new lease of life and Avon House can join the club. Working with Aedas Architects, we had a vision to transform it into a striking landmark and this vision has been realised.”
Shirley has long been in the eye of developers and the completion of Avon House is the first step in modernising the old town centre. Last week, the final compulsory purchase order was completed to allow the £100?million Parkgate scheme to get underway, although the project leaders have admitted that it could be more than a year before work starts on a project that will feature an Asda supermarket, cafes, shops, apartments and affordable housing.
A total of 30 plots were included in the CPO site and, while no homes were subject to the order, businesses along the Stratford Road were involved and around 150 residents objected over a public footpath affected by the scheme.
In further improvements to the area, Solihull Council has also recently invested in improving Shirley’s street scene with more trees, parking and an improved retail offering.
Agents for Avon House are Martin Bloomer Associates and CBRE. Will Ventham, associate director at CBRE, said: “With self-contained office suites ranging from 3,918 – 5,005 sq ft, the development is primed to cater for service sector companies and government quangos that need to accommodate between 30 and 50 employees.”
The building is awaiting the award for a ‘Very Good’ BREEAM rating. The interior has been designed to a highly contemporary theme, comparable with the interior specification of newly-completed Grade A office buildings in central Birmingham.
