North East care, leisure and property company Malhotra Group plc has moved to new headquarters in Newcastle city centre after completing a £1.5m renovation of a prominent building.
The Malhotra Group has been based at Dav House in Newcastle’s Groat Market for many years, but launched moves to set up a new main base after buying the listed 42-50 Grey Street in July 2018 in a £4m deal.
The firm has now officially into moved its head office to the building, which has been renamed Malhotra House and will become home to 60 of the company’s head office staff once lockdown restrictions are lifted.
Behind the historic facade, work has been carried out to sympathetically restore the building while bringing in new features including a reception area with a ‘living’ wall, plus a 48ft chandelier centred in the full height of the four storey internal staircase.
Facilities include executive suites, two executive boardrooms, meeting rooms, a design studio, shower facilities and two break-out areas for staff.
The move means the historic four-storey building is fully occupied for the first time in many years.
Malhotra Group Plc has relocated into the office accommodation on the upper two floors, consolidating their previous sites, at Groat Market and Scottish Provident House, while Italian restaurant Zizzi will continue to operate from the ground floor.
The group has let the first floor of the building to Lloyds Bank.
The firm’s construction office will continue to operate from the former Parrish’s Store at Shields Road, Byker, which is also owned by the group.
Grey Street is hailed as one of most beautiful in the UK with its Georgian architecture, and the Malhotra Group already owns several buildings on the street including the boutique Grey Street Hotel and Leila Lily’s, which was brought back to its original glory last year.
Due to Covid-19 the group’s original plans to develop the new Grey Street Hotel have been delayed, but work will start later this year on the aparthotel planned at 1 Mosley Street and the Market Lane bar. It planned pop-up bar at the Balmbras is already under way.
Group chairman Meenu Malhotra said: “On a practical level, the move enables us to consolidate our head office operation to one, centrally located site.
“On a personal note, it embodies our commitment to preserving the heritage of the city centre, while always looking forward optimistically to the future.”
Malhotra Group PLC owns a raft of Tyneside hotels, bars and restaurants, including the soon to reopen Three Mile and Great North Hotel, along with a nationwide commercial property portfolio and care facilities in the region under its Prestwick Care and Malhotra Care division.
