A well-known building in Falmouth has been transformed into "future-proof" accommodation after spending over two years empty.

The Richard Cook building on 21-24 Killigrew Street in Falmouth had been owned by Richard Nunn whose family had run it as a home furnishing store since 1903.

However, in February 2019 the building closed and since then proposals had been put forward for it to house a video games developer, although the plans fell through.

Plans were then submitted to convert the ground floor into smaller shops and the first and second floor into flats.

Now, over two years later, the Richard Cook building is finally back in use with all four commercial units now snapped up along with all of the ten flats housing tenants.

Currently occupying the commercial spaces are a wine bar, a coffee shop that also holds yoga sessions and will be putting on other services such as massages once they expand into the next unit, and a card & gift shop.

The residential units have been completely re-built with modern insulation and safety standards and fitted out with hi spec appliances in order to 'future-proof' the spaces whilst ensuring they meet future energy and environmental targets and safety regulations.

Ed Osman, who runs EO Developments Ltd - the company behind the redevelopment - told The Packet how proud he was to be providing the local community with places people could live and shop.

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"Richard who owned the shop before us was advertising for years and years to try and pass on the furniture shop, he wanted to retire, and due to the high-street dynamic these days there was no demand for a large commercial premises in town.

"We bought it with the mission of turning the ground floor into four separate individual commercial units and then changing the commercial space on the upper stories to residential.

"Which means we've now got ten new residential spaces in town and four commercial units which are all let to local people who work locally.

"Not only does this bring a bit of new life to Killigrew Street, but it ties-in nicely with the other shops, and it'll bring value to people's lives. It’s the natural evolution of our high street.

"Everybody's been impacted so much by not being able to find staff, and a lot of the reasons they couldn't find staff is because staff couldn't find anywhere to live as a lot of places are being converted into Air B&B.

"We're not doing that because we want long term residential lets, and every single flat has been taken, we've hardly advertised at all.

"Developers and landlords get such bad press, and there are unscrupulous people out there, and it can be disheartening.

"We take huge pride in making lovely, affordable, safe housing for people."