Plans have been submitted to transform Stockport's iconic pyramid into a restaurant and three banquet halls have been submitted.
The Royal Nawaab is behind the plans for the office building which has been vacant since the Co-op relocated its headquarters.
The planning application includes a restaurant with a capacity of 350 covers, three banquet halls that will range from a small, with a maximum capacity of 150 covers; a medium sized banquet hall with a maximum capacity of 300 covers and a large banquet hall with a maximum capacity of 700 covers.
READ MORE: Click here to sign up to the BusinessLive North West newsletter
Mahboob Hussain of Royal Nawaab said: "After much speculation in the media, we can confirm that we have submitted our planning application to Stockport Council.
"We are hoping to breathe much needed life into this iconic building and bring with it a significant investment and job creation into the Stockport and Greater Manchester region.
"We have received a positive reaction to our plans from local people and media. It truly is an iconic building that has put Stockport on the map. We now want to bring it back to life with a truly unforgettable dining experience for diners across Stockport, Greater Manchester and beyond."
Fozia Alharby from Eamar Developments added: "The owner Dr Abdullah Alnaeem is delighted that Royal Nawaab is now able to share their plans for the Pyramid.
Most Read
"We have long been fans of the brand and we wanted to ensure that we brought something special to Stockport, they are the perfect fit.
"The plans for the space will offer so much more than a restaurant, it presents a destination to bring more people to Stockport."
Royal Nawaab currently has two restaurants in London, one based in the Hover Building in Ealing and another in Ilford, east London.
The team has worked with NK Architects based in Cheadle to submit the planning application.
Plans to transform the landmark building have been in the pipeline
The building on Yew Street - which looms large over the M60 - opened its doors back in 1992, although construction began in the late eighties.
It was meant to be one of five pyramids built in the area to create Manchester's own 'Valley of Kings' along the River Mersey, a nod to ancient Egypt.
Don’t miss
But Stockport was left with just the one pyramid after the developers went into bankruptcy. The structure went on to be repossessed by the Co-op, who had paid for its construction, and it lay empty during the first few years after its completion.
The Co-op decided to move in to set up its base of operation for its call centre in 1995, but relocated to the NONA development in Manchester city centre in 2018. It's been empty ever since, although the Royal Nawaab restaurant would be the first tenants of the building's new owner.
The pyramid comprises of 86,000sqft of office accommodation over five floors, with 426 on-site car parking spaces. The entire site comprises of 4.5 acres.
In May 2019, news of its purchased by a Saudi Arabian investor was confirmed, with Eamar Developments (º£½ÇÊÓÆµ) buying the building from the Co-op Bank. It went on the market the summer before with an asking price of more than £4.5m.