Historic buildings overlooking a coastal town's port have been transformed as part of a £2m investment.
The Colne Shipping Company Limited and neighbouring Waveney Chambers buildings in Lowestoft have undergone complete renovations.
State-of-the-art business offices, conference rooms and residential accommodation now feature across the two sites on Waveney Road named Harbour Hub.
With both properties historically associated with Lowestoft’s fishing industry in years gone by, Harbour Hub now serves leisure, business and accommodation requirements in the town.
Each of the 19 apartments across Colne House and Waveney Chambers are self-contained with double beds, bathrooms and kitchenettes, while the nine offices are individually alarmed and offer 24-hour access.
The project is the brainchild of Nigel Thompson and David Cosford, directors of Norwich-based developers Kenzoku Properties.
They have retained many original features from Colne Shipping - including a giant tabletop from the boardroom that displays fishing charts and is now suspended from the ceiling at the top of a spiral staircase.
They purchased Waveney Chambers before adding Colne House to its portfolio just over a year later.
Mr Cosford said the two friends decided to set up a property business together called Kenzoku - which means family in Japanese.
He added: "It has been a labour of love and a massive project.
"With Waveney Chambers we have reconfigured the space to offer 12 apartments and two large open plan office spaces.
"With Colne House, the work was more demanding as the building was dated, and we wanted to be sympathetic to the industry it used to represent.
"We're very proud of the end project and we'd like to think that the town benefits from this type of investment."
Mr Cosford has also commissioned an artist to produce two pieces of artwork that represent old and new Lowestoft, which will be showcased on the outside of the dockside buildings.
One of its office tenants is David Salmon, from Claridge Investments, the former owners of Colne Shipping, who has worked in the building since 1984.
He said: "I started in the cashier’s department on a placement from college and spent a couple of months writing cheques to the wives of the crew who would send them money while they were at sea.
"I have been working in accounts for many years and am now on a self-employed basis."
Of the renovations, he added: "It’s lovely - far better than I’ve ever known it.
“I like the fact that they have considered the shipping industry in their design, keeping many of the original features and reframing our historical photographs that are now hung on the walls."
With four of the nine offices still to be let, the space is being promoted by NWES, who provide business support.
To register your office space interest, call 01502 456200 or to discuss accommodation email beourguest@ksuites.co.uk
History
Colne House was once the base of The Colne Shipping Company Limited, which was owned by Claridge Investments.
Its history can be traced back to 1945 when Gordon David Claridge began operating as a trawler owner in Lowestoft.
During the 1950s and 1960s business was booming and it grew to become one of the largest and most successful, privately owned fleets in the UK, adding a series of Dutch beam trawlers in the 1980s.
After turning its attentions to the search for oil and gas in the North Sea, by 1981 more than 100 fishing and offshore support fleet existed within the company.
Colne eventually ceased operations in August 2002.
Neighbouring Waveney Chambers is still home to educational testing service Pearson Test Centre, but for five years from 1997 to 2002 it was a base for the Lowestoft Journal and EDP's regional office.
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