JRL Group has teamed up with Halcyon Development Partners to transform a vacant 12-storey office block in Sutton town centre into a 359-unit co-living scheme.

The St Nicholas House plan will see the outdated office block repurposed and raised to 15-floors under a major retention strategy aimed at cutting carbon emissions.

The move supports Sutton Council’s wider regeneration drive for the civic quarter and high street area.

Alongside the residential offering, the revamped building will also provide a new permanent home for The Sound Lounge music venue.

This is the second joint scheme from the JRL-Halcyon partnership, following proposals for a 329-unit co-living scheme on Woking High Street.

Construction on the Sutton project is expected to begin in the coming months.

Paul Cummins, development director at JRL Group, said the scheme would bring much-needed, quality homes to the town centre while helping secure a future for The Sound Lounge.

Halcyon’s senior development manager James Knight said: “The retention strategy provides a unique opportunity to reduce carbon emissions whilst bringing vibrancy and animation to an otherwise redundant site.”

The announcement follows a period of strong growth for JRL Group, which recently saw a 50% stake acquired by Malaysian developer IJM – bolstering its position as a major player in UK construction and development.