News / Bearpit
Former Avon HQ overlooking Bearpit could be replaced by two new towers
Demolition of the Premier Inn overlooking the Bearpit could see two towers built in its place of 28 and 18 storeys.
The hotel was originally built as the the offices for Avon County Council in 1972.
Owners Whitbread now want to sell the site for redevelopment given the age of the building, with the proposed scheme including a new pedestrian connection between the Bearpit, St James’ Priory and the bus station.
In 2017, a group of daredevils filmed themselves climbing to the top of the building on The Haymarket:
Developer Olympian Homes has appointed architects Hodder & Partners to create a scheme for the 0.3 hectare site.
The 28-storey tower is planned to be student accommodation with 445 beds; while the 18-storey block will comprise “co-living” building with 136 bedrooms, of which 20 per cent would be affordable.
Co-living would see each flat having separate bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms, but with shared kitchens and social spaces.
The proposals include a ground floor cafe which would open onto both the bus station and the Bearpit, with the scheme also expected to have very little or no car parking.
The current Premier Inn is 20 storeys high with a Beefeater restaurant on its ground floor – photo: Martin Booth
Whitbread development manager, Richard Pearson, said: “The Premier Inn at Haymarket is at the end of its life. Though the location is great the current building does not provide the high brand standards our customers expect of us, and it needs substantial investment.
“We also have a much newer Premier Inn at Finzels Reach which is a short walk from the Haymarket hotel and serves the same catchment.
“Redeveloping the site presents an opportunity to realise the true potential of the gateway location for the city, whilst generating funds to reinvest in our network modern and energy efficient hotels in Bristol and elsewhere.
“The sale is part of our strategy of ensuring our hotel offer is of the highest quality and in the very best locations for our customers.”
Main photo: Martin Booth
Read next:
- Video: Climbing to the top of the Premier Inn
- End of an era as Bearpit bear dismantled
- Charity claims Bearpit ‘has been left to rack and ruin’
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