Plans reveal further details on office transformation

An application to overhaul a historic office block in Birmingham’s business district to provide luxury apartments has been submitted to the city council, revealing further details on the transformation planned by the Hong Kong investor which acquired the building.Herbert House on Cornwall Street was sold by Cushman & Wakefield (December 2016). At the time, it was revealed the buyer hoped to turn the site into 77 homes.According to new documents filed with Birmingham City Council, floors one to five of the building will be converted into 63 apartments, comprising nine studios, 32 one-bedroom flats and 22 two-bedroom dwellings.Two additional storeys will also be added to the property while the ground floor area will be converted into three commercial or retail units.Herbert House measures about 52,000 sq ft and dates back more than 100 years. As part of the property deal, ADAPT Real Estate was appointed UK development manager.The offices, which lie next to All Bar One and Zen Metro, have been vacant since 2014 when Vodafone moved to the Colmore Building.Subject to planning approval, the project is expected to complete by late-2018.