Part of a listed building could be demolished to make way for a new 36-bed HMO.
The former listed offices on West Bromwich High Street, opposite the newly restored Town Hall and Central Library, would be converted into an apartment building (HMO) under plans submitted to Sandwell Council.
The rear wing of the listed Georgian building would be demolished to make way for a new two-storey extension.
The 36-bed HMO would have communal kitchens and living rooms, as well as a four-space car park.
The year-long, £7.5 million restoration and refurbishment of West Bromwich Town Hall and Central Library was completed last month.
Sandwell Council approved plans to convert the former offices into a 35-bed HMO in 2020, but the work was never carried out. The three-year building permit has now expired, resulting in a new application.
A statement from Rachpal Takkhar accompanying the application said: “The building has been vacant for a number of years and the proposed use will bring the building into use and create more activity on the street.
“The proposal will provide locals with an additional 36 properties and will enhance the area overall. The proposal will create jobs for local people and support the local economy.”
A separate planning application was published in the summer to build 26 “affordable” homes on the corner of Lombard Street West and West Bromwich High Street, next to the city library.
The site was the site of a derelict former gas showroom before it was demolished in 2017 along with parts of the building, which had been a fixture on the city's main street for more than 75 years but was later described as an “eyesore” after years of neglect . Moved to the Black Country Living Museum in Dudley.
The application said the new homes would have a “distinctive modern and contemporary aesthetic” and would be a “striking new addition” to West Bromwich High Street.
The land on which the former gas showroom was located was purchased by Black Country Housing Group in 2022.