The former Store 21 on High Street, Blackwood in Caerphilly County Borough has been redeveloped and transformed into luxury apartments and five smaller retail units, combining commercial and residential in an ambitious project.
The project means that a vacant property on the High Street of Blackwood has seen new life and footfall once more.
The building at 87 – 89 High Street, Blackwood benefited from a funding boost from the Welsh Government Targeted Regeneration Investment (TRI) programme. The TRI funding programme aims to support regeneration projects that promote economic regeneration – creating jobs, enhancing skills and employability, and creating the right environment for businesses to grow and thrive.
The funding is aimed at bringing vacant commercial properties back in to use and will address the requirement for retail and commercial floor space that meets the needs of businesses, by providing gap funding for vacant commercial building occupiers and owners, to enhance building frontages and bring vacant commercial floor space back into beneficial business use.
Now complete, the project boasts eight one-bedroom apartments and one two-bedroom apartment on the second story, and five retail units on the first story. The basement level also houses private parking.
All the retail units have now let to local businesses – Tamp and Grind (Deli Company), JDs Barbershop, Cheesesteak Company and Summer Nails.
The Council’s Deputy Leader Councillor Jamie Pritchard, Cabinet Member for Prosperity, Regeneration & Climate Change said: “To see a building in a prime position in one of our high streets sitting vacant is really such a shame. It is great to see businesses and entrepreneurs taking advantage of the Welsh Government Targeted Regeneration Investment programme.
“In recent years, Caerphilly Council has invested significantly into infrastructure to ensure Caerphilly is a great place to do business. We continue to strengthen our partnership with Welsh Government – and as part of the Urban Centre Funds we have been able to bring back into use several empty and underutilised town centre buildings across the County Borough.”
