We provided an 18 month, senior debt facility of over £20 million to Ktesius Projects, the experienced London-based developer, for the development of 70 one, two and three bed residential units, and ground floor commercial space, in Brighton.
Located in the Valley Gardens Conservation Area, one of the town’s most desirable neighbourhoods, the former Brighton Astoria Cinema is just a short walk from the historic Brighton Palace Pier. The scheme, approved in January, has a Gross Development Value of over £35 million, with individual units priced from c. £295,000.
Construction has commenced on the seven storey building, which will be U-shaped in design and incorporate a landscaped central courtyard. The scheme will offer residents access to a communal gym, TV room, locker storage, community room as well as 72 bicycle racks. Unit completion is expected in late 2019.
The development offers panoramic views across Victoria Gardens public park. It benefits from its close proximity to Brighton train station, providing access in 30 minutes to Gatwick Airport and London Victoria in one hour.
Ken MacRae, CEO of Ktesius Projects, said:
“This is one of the most exciting projects we have undertaken to date, taking an historic building and developing it into much-needed residential units in one of the most desirable parts of Brighton.
Finding a lender who fully understood our deal requirements from the outset was vital, and working with Octopus has been a truly collaborative process. We are committed to growing our residential portfolio across the South East into 2018 and look forward to the opportunity to work with Octopus again.”
Arc & Co., the specialist asset finance advisory company based in Mayfair, London, acted as broker.
