Aviva Investors has exchanged contracts on a £42m deal to buy Curtain House, a Grade II listed former Victorian warehouse-turned-office building in Shoreditch, EC2.
The block includes around 40,400 sq ft of office space above a bar on the ground floor. EG revealed last month that Aviva was under offer on the site.
The freehold site, which is owned by Curtain House Ltd, had planning consent for a partial redevelopment granted by Hackney Council in March 2020.
Built in phases between 1881 and 1887 for a furniture-making company, Curtain House was converted into a music hall, before becoming a restaurant and live venue with offices above.
The planning consent gives Aviva the chance to revamp the office reception area, fill in existing light wells and build an extension at the back – an unlisted section of the site – with a new basement.
The scheme would nudge the office floorspace up to 41,123 sq ft while retaining the 13,000 sq ft bar, which is currently occupied by Blues Kitchen.
The insurance giant’s investment arm already owns a cluster of sites around Hoxton Square, which were bought and revamped over the past decade to house digital-led projects designed to diversify the company.
Agencies Michael Elliott and Ellis Brown are acting for the seller, while Compton is acting for Aviva. All parties declined to comment.
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