The £2m restoration of a former Morecambe pub and nightclub is nearing its end and Beyond Radio has been to take a look inside.
Work on The Battery luxury apartments complex is expected to be completed by the summer, says owner and developer Ian Bond.
Ian bought The Battery in 2014, saving it from demolition, and started renovations in 2016.
The building dates back to the mid-1800s and was previously a pub and hotel, as well as home to popular '80s and '90s nightclub Harvey's and the Sandylands House office block.
The first apartments, available to rent from £850 per month, should be ready in a couple of months.
LISTEN to our interview with Ian Bond
"We've put a lot of love and care into putting it back to how it should be," said Ian, who also owns the nearby Alhambra and former Trinity Methodist Church.
"It's such a historic building and holds such a prominent position. It's so important to give it all that care and attention it hasn't had for such a long time.
"Somebody said it's a bookend to the Promenade, because it does have that position, looking right along the Promenade."
Ian said the six-year project has "thrown up a lot of challenges".
"I totally underestimated it," he said.
"We've spent a lot of money restoring stonework and brickwork, restoring it back to former glory. We've spent tens of thousands on the staircase.
"I've probably doubled my budget from when we started, in terms of cost and time, but it's worth it.
"It's over one and a half million now and by the time we've finished, it will be approaching two million by the time we've finished. So it's a lot of money, but it will be around for a long long time. We've used a lot of good quality people and products.
"It's been really really difficult. Lockdown was tough. You couldn't get building materials. Prices started going up. Projects were on hold. Now there's a massive shortage of materials. Some timber products have probably doubled in the past two years.
"The cost of living is tough for everybody. Utility costs are frightening, so we've tried to answer that with this project. We've super-insulated the building, made it super-efficient. We hope the overheads for being here will be fairly low."
Ian said there has already been interest in the apartments in the four-floor building, which he will be offering as a mixture of buy-to-let and holiday flats.
The Battery has also been used recently as a location for filming the ITV crime drama series The Bay.
Once the work is finished, Ian hopes to have a well-earned break and then start work on the derelict church (pictured below), which he hopes can become a pub-restaurant.
BIG FIGHT COUNTDOWN: Tyson Fury's most memorable Morecambe moments
Meeting will rally business community together after shock Lancaster bakery closure
INTERVIEW: Award-winning festival set to celebrate Italy in Lancaster
Lancaster MP welcomes return of mobile phone coverage
INTERVIEW: Historic Heysham pub to reopen as new management aims to 'bring community together'
Traffic diverted as Lancaster quay closed for rail bridge works
Caravan fire in Morecambe spreads to two other vehicles
Morecambe's two bathing beaches receive Seaside Awards amid calls to improve water quality
Lancaster remains best university in North West England in Complete University Guide
'Music with the Mayor' initiative launched to support North Lancashire’s Citizens Advice
DIARY: Beyond Radio presenter fighting cancer continues his '60 Before 60' challenge
BIG FIGHT COUNTDOWN: Tyson Fury's father John headbutts Usyk supporter ahead of undisputed heavyweight title fight
Decision to refuse Galgate housing scheme planning permission upheld following public inquiry
INTERVIEWS and PHOTOS: The story of Highest Point festival 2024
INTERVIEW: Lancaster prison officer backed by Tyson Fury wins sport contest ahead of Miss England bid
VIDEO and INTERVIEW: Lancaster schoolboy, 10, makes drum 'n' bass DJ debut at Lancaster festival
Highest Point 'Lancaster Rocks' night cancelled due to thunderstorms warning
Quad bike rider dies after road crash in Morecambe
Morecambe guesthouse couple to star on reality TV show 'Four in a Bed'
PHOTOS: Northern Lights dazzle on Highest Point festival day one
