The conversion of a Grade II-listed landmark building in the heart of a town centre into flats and retail space has been turning heads for months.

Len House in Mill Street, Maidstone, was originally home to Rootes before it became a Peugeot dealership.

Now, two years on since work began, developer Len House Ltd, owned by Obee Holdings, has provided KentOnline with an exclusive look inside.

Within the former garage, work is under way to transform the site into 80 one and two-bedroom apartments which will be available for rent, targeting the high-end market from downsizers to commuters.

As part of the design, there is 28,000 sq ft of commercial space to rent which Thomas Obee, the company’s director, says will generate 150 jobs.

There is the potential for eight commercial units, depending on size, which will be on the ground floor.

It is hoped it will attract retail, food or drinks businesses and, Mr Obee promised, “the premises will not be used for a vape shop or nail bar”.

After the construction ran into design hurdles due to its Grade II-listed status, certain features were amended.

This has meant a pathway that was outside has moved inside and the listed car ramp will not be used for residents’ parking. Instead, it will feature show cars behind glass as a nod to the structure’s previous use.

Now, these obstacles have been overcome and the development is in its shell and core stage which is due to be completed in November.

Because of its heritage status, Mr Obee says “it’s like creating a brand-new building inside an old one” with photos inside revealing the new structure alongside the old.

He said: “There is no other building as iconic in Maidstone and I hope it will become a destination point in the town centre.”

The developer acquired the property in 2019, when it was in “disrepair” and in 2020 the redevelopment of Len House was given the go-ahead by Maidstone council’s planning committee.

In 2022, contractors Bauvill moved on site and have been building the project ever since.

As part of its shell and core stage of development, the premises will become watertight, with a focus on installing the windows and gutters.

The next stage, the fit-out, is expected to take 15 months and will see the internal elements of the building come together, such as the plasterboarding and internal wiring.

The target competition date for the project is mid-2026, with the total investment expected to reach £40 million.

Mr Obee said: “The key focus of this project is regeneration.

“It is a fantastic location and an iconic building with the river in front and the high street at the back.”

As part of phase two for the site, another 80 apartments, with more bedrooms, will be built bringing the total to 160.

In July last year, a change in hoardings led to speculation the project had issues and might not happen as planned.

But, contractor Bauvill explained the changes to the hoardings were down to a potential redesign of certain parts of the build which might be different to the previous images.