A neglected Grade II listed building in Bristol city centre has been given a new lease of life by property developer Urban Creation.
Bristol-based Urban Creation has completely refurbished the 4,500 sq ft building both inside and out, transforming this previously under-utilised space.
The upper floors are now home to six spacious one-bed student apartments, whilst the ground floor front and lower ground floor space has been retained as newly upgraded retail and office space.
Independent coffee shop C.U.P Speciality Coffee & Tea will be opening in the space fronting Park Street. The rear ground floor of the property is to become Urban Creation’s own new offices, with its team relocating from its existing base on Great George Street.
76 Park Street was previously entirely occupied by Moss Bros which closed in 2015, leaving it to fall into neglect before Urban Creation bought the site in 2017.
Maria Fyssaki, co-owner of C.U.P Speciality Coffee & Tea, which opened its first coffee shop in Reading in 2015, said: “We are excited to open our third branch in Bristol, a vibrant city known for its support of independent businesses like ours. 76 Park Street is an amazing location for our business, as it’s right near to the university and at the beating heart of the city. The building itself is a real gem and has been renovated beautifully.”
The plan is for the coffee shop to open next month (March) with exact timings to be announced.
Urban Creation has carefully restored period features at 76 Park Street, reinstating historic details that had been lost for decades, partly as a result of bomb damage during the Second World War. The 1970s shop front has been replaced, returning the front closer to its original designs. Work has included the reinstatement of blocked up windows, cleaning the original brickwork and replacing the sash windows.
The building is located on Park Street with its shops, cafes and restaurants and the open green spaces of Brandon Hill right on its doorstep. Bristol University, the Clifton Triangle and the city’s historic harbourside are just a stone’s throw away. The new apartments are now fully let and students have moved in.
Jonathan Brecknell, director and owner of Urban Creation, which develops and manages high quality homes and accommodation for students and visitors to the city, explains: “It’s fantastic to have been able to bring back to life the rich heritage of this Grade II listed property with a more engaging street frontage and original-style features throughout.
“Bristol is a city we are passionate about and it’s great to be able to create this smart new space for both students and C.U.P Speciality Coffee & Tea to call their home, helping to keep one of the city’s most popular streets buoyant as high streets up and down the country face challenging times.
“Demand is high from both UK and international students after a unique place to live in an excellent location. It’s important the city meets this need as the student population is a major contributor to the local economy through spend in our shops, eateries and local businesses, not to mention the vast number of jobs created by the universities.”
The office move by Urban Creation comes after a bumper year for Urban Creation, its 15th anniversary, which saw the company successfully expand its serviced apartment business to a new site in Clifton. The new serviced apartments at Alison Court offer stylish high-quality modern living for business or pleasure for people wanting to stay in one of the most desirable areas of the city.
Urban Creation was also behind a trailblazing new project, believed to be a UK first, at 50 Park Street earlier this year when it lifted ready-to-go homes pre-built in a factory into the shell of an existing 1950s building. Its success showed what’s possible in tight, urban sites, with the potential to revolutionise the future of house building.
Urban Creation’s Beech House offers boutique serviced apartments in Clifton aimed at visitors to the city for both business and leisure, whilst it also created student accommodation at Charlotte’s Rise on Charlotte Street in Clifton, and The Manor House, off St Michael’s Hill, by the University of Bristol campus. All are beautiful, historic properties, whose character and charm have been preserved as part of the renovation projects.
