'Really exciting' move to give former pub building in Nottingham city centre new lease of life

The historic canalside building will be home to a new restaurant

An historic canalside building in Nottingham city centre is being brought back to life. Work has begun to transform the four-storey Victorian property, which up until October 2024 was a pub, Via Fossa.

Built in 1897 as a warehouse manufacturing prams and wicker furniture, it will be turned into an aparthotel with a restaurant taking over the ground floor and part of the first floor with waterside views.

The premises, which have been empty since Via Fossa closed, became a target for graffiti. The doors and ground floor windows had to be barricaded with steel shutters to stop break-ins.

Restaurateur Dan Lindsay, who co-owns Bar Iberico, Iberico World Tapas and Taquero in the city, is venturing into property development through a new partnership with the Burt family, who are behind some of Nottingham's most high-profile regeneration projects.

He will be leading the design element of the redevelopment but won't be involved in the hospitality side of the business, where a well-known national chain is set to step in.

Dan said: "It's a really exciting project, bringing something back to life that we all know and love. It's a beautiful building. For me, it's a real challenge. There's lots for me to learn and get myself involved in it, so it's a new string to my bow.

"I love the design side of what I do and really enjoyed the challenge of doing Taquero. This opportunity came up and we've gone into a joint venture on it.

"It's perfect as it still retains that hospitality element, but it also means I can be involved in the design and move into that area.

"We will work with the building as much as possible and retain the original features. I love to take a building and bring it back to life. I feel like it's in safe hands with me and I like to preserve those characteristics.

"I love the area and there's a bit of a regeneration around here. There's lots of things happening. The Canalhouse does really well and they're making the Waterfront bar a co-working space."

Via Fossa opened as one of the city's biggest pubs during the 1990s when the Castle Wharf development sparked the canalside leisure boom.

Workmen have started to gut the gothic style interior of building, which has old organ pipes on the walls, church pews and huge metal chandeliers.

The aparthotel will have 40 rooms at the front of the first floor and on the the two upper storeys. The top floor will have duplex rooms with balcony windows overlooking the canal.

Mini kitchens and desk space will be incorporated into the design. "Some of the rooms will be double rooms for families. You could stay for a night or you could stay for a week if you're working in the courts or locally," said Dan.

"It'll be playing on the warehouse feel of it. When it was first built, it made prams and was used for the production of rattan.

"I want to pull in the rattan thing and use some of the things I used in Taquero... a similar feel, high ceilings, great windows, lots of exposed brick, but bringing a refined, comfortable element to it. Stripped back but also a sumptuousness.

"We'll bring lots of colour into it. That was really effective with Taquero, being quite bold with the colours and just making it a really comfortable, airy space."

The incoming restaurant hasn't been named as the deal has still to be signed, but Dan said: "We're hoping to get a good partnership going with them. They're a great brand to have there and it goes hand-in-hand really. They're very keen to work with us on it."

Names for the aparthotel are still on the table. "It still has to be confirmed. There's lots of elements of the area I'd like bring into the name but we're not sure if this is something we might replicate so it makes sense to have something a bit more generic that we can then use if we decide to do it in another city.

"It's perfect for me, you can come to the city and have dinner in one of my restaurants and I can put you up for the night effectively. The link with the restaurants, doing offers where people can get a roof for the night, all those things will fall in line."

The Burt family is headed up by 83-year-old Ken Burt, who plays an instrumental role in the business.

It is hoped that the project, subject to planning permission, will be completed within 18 months.

Check out the gallery below for a look inside the Via Fossa:

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