Property developer Cater Group has snapped up Lord Cullen House in Aberdeen and plans to turn it into new homes.
The company is working on plans to transform the tired old office building – once home to operations of both the Health and Safety Executive and Met Office – into residential accommodation.
Cater did not say how much it paid for the building but a spokesman for the firm said the deal was struck at an “attractive” price – “as is the case for many older office buildings for sale in the city”.
The 32,300sq ft office block was in late 2020 being marketed by Knight Frank, with an asking price of £400,000.
Piper Alpha connection
Lord Cullen House, on Causewayend, is named after the man who conducted three public inquiries into the Piper Alpha disaster in 1988.
The building has been fully vacant since the end of last year.
Its former owner, Elite Magnum, part of Singapore-based investment group Elite Partners Capital, started reducing lets in the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic.
That process continued until the last lease expired in late 2021, paving the way for Aberdeen-based Cater to snap up the four-storey property.
The new owner aims to submit a planning application within months to convert it into homes.
Transformation opportunity
Cater spokesman Ewan Gibson said the group took “great pleasure” in having the opportunity to “transform another empty Aberdeen office building into a place for families to work, live and play, with space and safety”.
He added: “Previously let to the Health and Safety Executive and Met Office, this site is in a fantastic location near the city centre, with great links out to the airport and industrial estates.
“I can’t release too many details for our plans, but we will be transforming the site to a modern inner city residential development where people and families can enjoy their own space.”
Cater has its roots in Malaysia but is currently targeting opportunities in the UK and run from an office in Aberdeen.
Although the company has interests in both commercial and residential property, its recent focus in Aberdeen has been on housing and mixed use developments – such as the conversion of a former care home, Maryfield House, into 26 residential flats.
Last year the firm unveiled plans for a 250-flat development, with around 16,15sq ft of commercial and retail space, at Atholl House on Guild Street.
Cater’s past projects in the north-east include The Square Bar and The Square Hotel, in Kintore, as well as the Little Malay and Asiana Kitchen restaurants and Two Brothers Pizza takeaway, all in Aberdeen.
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