A PENARTH building which has stood empty for years will be brought back to life as a residential and commercial scheme.

The art deco car showroom on Windsor Road will soon be home to a collection of 12 one and two bedroom apartments and duplexes and a penthouse under a scheme named ‘The Moorwell’.

The creation of local developer Project Three Developments, The Moorwell will see the restoration and conversion of the former car showroom into contemporary homes set around a communal courtyard garden. Anytime Fitness Penarth gym will sit on the ground floor.

Savills Cardiff will start selling the homes at a price of £250,000 for a one-bedroom apartment.

Built in the 1920s by Stanley Sadler, the building was originally the premises of Sadler Bros Ltd, the successful car garage he ran with his brother, Aubrey Sadler. During the Second World War the building was used as an auxiliary workshop. It changed hands in the early 1950s to become Moorwell Motors.

Ben Wells, managing director at Project Three, said: “We are delighted to reveal our plans to restore and revitalise this impressive Penarth building.

“We were immediately struck by the strong architectural style of the façade and the light and space inside. It was clear there was potential to design a scheme that would honour the building’s character and heritage, while creating something new and contemporary for future generations to enjoy.”

Features include double height windows in the duplex and both private and communal outside spaces. A full floor penthouse has a roof terrace to the front and back with panoramic views.

Dorothy Foulkes, daughter of Stanley Sadler, who designed and built the distinctive building and ran his business from there for many years, still lives in Penarth and recently visited the site of the development.

She said: “I have many memories of the garage over the years. Having stood empty for many years, I am delighted it is being given a new and exciting future. It is wonderful that the key features of the original beautifully designed building are being preserved and transformed. It feels very appropriate, given my father’s very high standards and professionalism that The Moorwell is being designed and constructed with the same values.”