Preston's tallest office block is back on the market - with £2m knocked off the asking price
The vacant office block has been mooted for housing for the past decade.
Preston’s tallest office building is back on the market -with £2m slashed from the asking price.
The 15-storey Guild Tower, which stands on Church Row - just yards from the city’s bus station and behind the Guild Hall - was most recently occupied by the Department for Work and Pensions, but has been largely empty for more than three years.
It was acquired in 2015 by entrepreneur Simon Rigby - who died suddenly in September 2020 - and within a year he had announced £10m plans to convert it into a 105 unit aparthotel, together with a casino and a health spa and gym. But even though Preston Council granted planning permission, the scheme never got off the ground.
In 2024, new plans to turn the 1979-built tower into residential use were approved, with the proposal featuring 115 flats, mostly containing one or two bedrooms. The Level entertainment complex at the ground floor and basement of the site was not impacted by the revamp.
But now, two years on, the residential dream appears to have stalled, with the Guild Tower back on the market for £1.5m with Duxbury’s Commercial - down from the £3.5m wanted in June 2023.
It has been reported that Dan Yates, who had been progressing plans for converting the tower into apartments under the HY Hotels brand, has reluctantly walked away from the project and that the building is still being sold by receivers.
Duxbury’s Commercial state: “The Guild Tower is an iconic building in the City Centre and this is a unique opportunity. The accommodation would suit various uses subject to planning permission. The total NIA of the vacant offices is approximately 70,560 sqft, with the accommodation spread over 14 floors of 5040 sq ft. The accommodation has excellent far-reaching views across the city centre. There is also a lift to all floors.”