Hereford buildings destroyed by fire set to reopen as luxury development

The local people of Hereford will finally get to see what has been achieved by Birmingham-based property developer Elevate Property Group at Alban House, two Grade II listed buildings destroyed by a devastating fire in October 2010.

It’s been a long journey to bring the buildings back into use, but on Saturday 13 July the show apartment opens to the public.

The £7 million development of 18 penthouses, apartments and townhouses has been engineered from the charred remains of what was left of 16-18 High Town after the fire swept through the buildings nearly 9 years ago.

The original buildings, gutted by the fire that needed over 100 firefighters to bring it under control, have stood empty since October 2010. Their origins are in the 15th and 16th century, but the buildings also had 18th and 20th century additions.

And now residents of Hereford will be able to witness for themselves the ‘remarkable transformation’ that has taken place since the site was purchased by Elevate Property Group in 2017.  

Eight of the 18 new homes have already been acquired off-plan, with two of the three top floor penthouses already reserved. Additionally, two retail units fronting High Town are available.

“Alban House is our first project in the cathedral city of Hereford and where many saw a site that had become an eyesore, we saw an opportunity,” Steve Dodd, managing director of Elevate Property Group, said.

“It’s been a hard road but with the help of Philip Belchere of Hereford architects Hook Mason Ltd and our development managers BACE Construction Consultants, we were able to move forward to the point where we were able to appoint C J Bayliss of Hereford as main contractors to build the project.”

The build wasn’t entirely smooth, though, with construction work delayed when Saxon ramparts were discovered and the developers stepped back to allow county archaeologists to chronicle details of the Saxon discovery dating back to the late 9th century AD.

“Completion is scheduled for the end of 2019 so we hope to have all our new residents in by Christmas,” said David Hofton, sales and marketing director of Elevate Property Group.

“Help to Buy has been confirmed and this has further enhanced the attraction of Alban House to first-time buyers. Among the ten remaining homes, there are three one-bedroom apartments with prices ranging from £135,000 to £160,000.”

“We are very proud of what Elevate Property Group and our development partners have created at Alban House, bringing a luxury finish and specification to Hereford that has not been seen before.”

Once completed, Alban House will be fronted by two commercial units with a newly-created range of luxury homes, above and behind, many with balconies. Parking will also be available in the gated courtyard accessed from East Street to the rear.

For further details, or to book a personal viewing, you can call Martin Pearce at agents Connells on 01432 267 511, or view at http://www.elevatepropertygroup.co.uk/developments-grid/alban-house/