New pictures show Wolverhampton's famous Beatties building completely stripped out
The insides of Wolverhampton’s former Beatties department store have been completely stripped out, with floors and internal debris now all gone.
The much-loved building, with its imposing Art Deco frontage in Victoria Street, was bought from the receiver for £6.15 million earlier this year.
It had been facing an uncertain future following the collapse of its previous owner in November last year.
New drone images show work has been taking place to strip out the building to its bare bones.
Restoration work is expected to recommence in the summer after the property was bought by the Middlesex-based Eden group.
New life will be breathed into the building, with the ground floor expected to be used for retail, with more than 400 apartments planned for the upper levels.
Earlier this year, director of Eden group George Dhillon said building work would resume in July, with the first apartments going on sale about 12 months later.
The famous department store has been empty since 2020 when the retailer's new owner, House of Fraser, moved to smaller premises in the Mander Centre.
Developer SSYS Beatties Ltd bought the building for £3 million, and secured permission for a massive redevelopment, but the company collapsed last year and receivers were called in.
It is thought the apartments may draw the interest of overseas students, with Wolverhampton University previously revealing plans to recruit an extra 6,000 students from abroad by 2029.
Speaking in February, Mr Dhillon said: "Many overseas students like plush, one-bedroom apartments, but they are also interested in the amenities that are close at hand, so it could be that we want to put a gym in the building, or something like that."
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