NORTH Hill’s Oriel House was the Gazette’s home for more than 40 years.

For decades the Colchester town centre office was a hive of activity with our journalists, advertising reps and newspaper sales team based there.

When the Gazette moved to an office on Colchester’s Severalls Industrial Estate at the end of 2013, SB Living, which owns the building, had to decide what to do next.

Brothers James and Tim Struth decided to turn the Sixties three-storey building into 24 flats, and work is well under way.

James said: “I’m really pleased with how the work is going.

“We’ve had some people show interest already, which is nice.”

The building will contain 17 one-bedroom flats and seven two-bedroom flats.

All but two of the flats will have a balcony, Juliet balcony or a terrace area.

Developers plan to keep as many original features as possible, including the front windows and the solid oak front door.

James said: “The building looks lovely, so why change it?

We want it to look nice.”

The team is putting together a show flat which will be open to the public from Saturday.

The exact prices of the apartments are yet to be finalised, but they are expected to start from £117,500.

Jason Sewell, from Fenn Wright, which is selling the flats, said: “People are going to be buying a little piece of nostalgia.

“There has been a very good response.”