Bridge Street Exchange
History of the site
Charles Street was originally an area of private housing leading from Crockherbtown to Bridge Street; now no residential properties remain in the area. 71 Bridge Street is within a Conservation Area, which is an area designated by Cardiff Council as an area of special architectural or historic interest. The original building was built in 1984 and Cardiff Council said that it held "no historic significance and of little aesthetic value due to the inconsistent fenestration details and lack of presence at this prominent corner location". Half of the site was already cleared and the remainder was undeveloped for more than 10 years.
Planning permission was originally granted by Cardiff Council in 2008 for a 5-storey hostel and ground floor retail space and for a 5-storey office development with ground floor retail space. Neither were implemented, and the planning permission subsequently lapsed. The building was first proposed on 16 December 2015, when a planning application was made for a 24-storey block of student flats. Full planning permission was granted on 20 April 2016.