UK: The former Brown Muff & Co department store in Bradford, once known as ‘the Harrods of the north’, could be playing host to an aparthotel.
The 1870 building was taken over by House of Fraser in 1977 and rebranded as Rackhams, which closed in 1995. The ground floor became a smaller shop and cafe units, but much of the upper building has been empty since.
Developer Stamford Properties has submitted a planning application to Bradford Council to turn these upper floors into 69 aparthotel units, with an entrance on Ivegate and a new floor built on the existing building. The planning application says: “It will be a major investment and have significant positive benefits for the city centre and its economy”.
Around 10 jobs will be created if the development gets the go-ahead, with an operator yet to be appointed.
Agent for the applicant, Phil Staddon, said the company had carried out extensive market research, and found that there was a high demand in Bradford for an aparthotel. .
The application says: “The duration of a guest stay may be anywhere between a few nights to six months or more. Due to the flexibility of the aparthotel model, they appeal to a wide variety of guests, including tourists and the business sector.”
A decision on the application is expected to be made in early December.</p
