Kings House, Hove


Kings House is a Grade II listed building in Hove that was previously used as offices by Brighton and Hove City Council. It is situated in Grand Avenue.

History

Kings House was built between 1871 and 1874 by James Knowles; originally it was built as seven mansion blocks, and was based on the style of Osborne House on the Isle of Wight. It then became a hotel, called the Prince's Hotel, before being used by the Royal Navy during the Second World War. In 1948, the building was bought by SEEBOARD to use as the company headquarters, before being bought by Brighton and Hove City Council in 1996. In 1974, the building became a Grade II listed building.
In July 2014, Kings House was put up for sale for £10 million, as part of a cost saving plan. By 2015, the valuation of the property had increased to around £20 million, with staff being relocated from the building to Hove Town Hall by December 2016. It was sold for £26 million in July 2017 to Mortar Nova Grand Avenue, a joint venture development vehicle between developer Rego Property and Pacific Investments. The buyer plans to turn the building back into housing.