Property Off Plan - Property Investment - Buy To Let - Commercial

Lifestyle
A home here gives you the perfect urban lifestyle mix. With the city’s
business quarter and impressive communications network just a few
minutes away - together with planned commercial and retail space of
its own - you’re already waving goodbye to a fraught commute. Ease
yourself into the day enjoying a coffee on the balcony, lace up the
runners and take to the parks for an invigorating jog, before strolling to work.
An impressive array of bars, cafés and bistros give Birmingham an existing
24/7 atmosphere, ensuring your day needn’t end as you leave the
office.
All the city’s leading attractions and centres for socialising and
shopping are no more than a short walk from your doorstep.
Park Central gives you more than a home. It brings life to you, blending
effortlessly for the perfect solution to the day you want to lead. Park
living. City Living.

A Little bit about Birmingham
“Birmingham city centre is firing on all cylinders - residential, retail, leisure and offices. There is more development activity in the city centre than for 40 years.”
It is estimated that there is in excess of £11.6 billion worth of investment over the next 10 years in Birmingham. Over £9.2 billion worth of investment is either planned or underway in the city centre alone. Developments by sector, Birmingham City Centre, 2003 to 2010


Background to Birmingham’s Developments
Birmingham emerged in the late 1980’s as the epitome of the European entrepreneurial city, an ambition
which built upon the successful precedent of the National Exhibition Centre. Priority was given to
developing Birmingham’s potential as a business tourism hub of national and international significance,
and the NEC, which opened in 1976 was the first initiative to broaden the city’s economic base.
The International Convention Centre was conceived as a complement to the NEC, taking advantage of
the city’s strategic central location and existing expertise in business tourism to exploit a perceived gap
in the conference market. Its siting in the city centre was a deliberate attempt to spur the regeneration
of the central district which was seen to be falling far short of its potential and one of the key assets to
be exploited in restructuring the economy of the city.
The key objective was to broaden the city’s economic base with a significant presence of international
scale in a fast-growth sector. Related objectives were to provide a catalyst for wider
regeneration in the vicinity; to attract inward investment and employment growth;
and to create a new image for the city in national and international markets




Key city developments include:
ICC: The ICC formed the core of the Broad Street Redevelopment Area and was intended to provide the
best purpose-built convention centre in Europe and one of the best concert halls in the world. It includes
11 halls and provides a new home for the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. Some £50 million of the
cost was borne by EU (then EC) Structural Funds, and the remainder by the city council. Opened in April
1991. Cost £180.00 million.
Symphony Hall: Provides magnificent rehearsal and administrative facilities for the CBSO. Currently
the Music Director of the Orchestra is Sakari Oramo, who succeeded Simon Rattle in 1998. More recently,
Sir Simon Rattle has been named chief conductor of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra.
National Indoor Arena: Venue with maximum capacity of 13,000 used primarily for sporting events
of national and international scale, and also for entertainment and exhibition/conference activities. Some
£23 million was raised by the city through the sale of the Brindleyplace site, with an extra £3 million from
the Sports Council. Opened October 1991. Cost £57.00 million.
Hyatt Hotel: Four star hotel with 319 rooms and extensive leisure facilities. Intended to complement the
ICC and provided a major modern addition to the city skyline. Opened July 1990. Cost £31.00 million.
Centenary Square: A major pedestrian public space providing an extensively landscaped approach
to the ICC area from the city centre core. Using primarily hard materials, with limited green space, the
square includes high-profile pieces of public art and is the city’s prime site for civic and public events.
Cost £3.10 million.
Ring Road Downgrading: The lowering of the inner ring road at the juncture between the above investments
and the traditional city centre core. Subways were replaced by a wide pedestrian bridge, creating
an attractive and legible connection between the two areas. This linked the ICC to the main commercial
and retail districts and formed the heart of the emerging visitor corridor. Completed in 1989. Cost nearly
£3.00 million.
Canalside Infrastructure: Several initiatives to improve the environment of the canals themselves
plus new towpaths, bridges, access points, and signage. Cost £3.00 million.
During the 1990’s a rolling programme of improvements to the urban environment and public realm integrated
the earlier projects into the wider city centre fabric, including:
Victoria Square: Re-designed as a traffic free space with extensive new landscaping and public art.
Cost £6.70 million.
Pedestrianisation of Upper New Street: Completing the unbroken
pedestrian link between the ICC and New Street Station.








Smaller streetscape initiatives: Including the first surface level pedestrian crossing between the core
and the Jewellery Quarter.
Smallbrook Queensway/Hurst Street: Lowering of the inner ring road and removal of subways to
create a traditional intersection and surface pedestrian crossings at the juncture between the core and the
Chinese/Markets Quarter.
More recently there have been high-profile developments built, adding to the variety and regeneration of the
city centre and Birmingham as a whole:
StarCity: Adjacent to the M6, on the Heartlands Spine Road. Includes a Warner Village 30-screen cinema,
thought to be Europe’s biggest megaplex. Shortlisted for Best Regeneration Scheme in 2000 Leisure Property
Awards. Opened in 2000. Cost £90.00 million.
Millennium Point: Includes various elements including 21st century museum and hi-tech education and
learning colleges; retail, and licensed and leisure outlets, including Birmingham’s only IMAX Theatre. Europe’s
largest science and technology based attraction. Opened 2001. Cost £113.00 million.
Martineau Place: Retail development consisting of 28 shops, cafes and restaurants. Opened 2001. Cost
£300.00 million.
Mailbox: Offers a unique combination of luxury living, executive offices, designer shopping and waterfront
restaurants and café bars in the heart of the city. Opened June 2001. Cost £150.00 million.
Five Ways Leisure: Major leisure and entertainment facility on two storeys. Tenants include a 12-screen
UGC cinema, Tiger Tiger nightclub, Henry J Bean, Waxy O’Connors and Bits n’ Pizza. Completed 2001. Cost
£50.00 million.
No. 125 Colmore Row: Nine storey office landmark building. 144,000 sq. ft with stunning glazed roofed
atrium reception. Completed 2001. Cost £55.40 million.
Over the next few years there are plans for a variety of new schemes that will enhance Birmingham’s offer
to new investors.
Bullring: Europe’s largest city centre retail regeneration scheme, combining stunning architecture with a
series of covered streets and squares. Completed September 2003. Cost £500.00 million.
Brindleyplace: Brindleyplace is recognised as the largest city centre mixed use development in the UK.
The 17 acre site is now the workplace for over 10,000 people. Tenants include BT’ s regional headquarters;
Petit Blanc and National Sealife Centre. Completed end 2003. Cost £350.00 million.
The Hub, Birmingham: Located between junctions 6 & 7 of the M6, offering
purpose-built warehouse and industrial accommodation. Cost £150.00 million.



Baskerville House: Former City Council Offices, Broad Street, Grade II listed building. To provide showcase
Grade A office space on 7 floors and 143 car parking spaces. Completion due 2006. Cost £30.00 million.
Beetham Tower: A mixed use tower of 420 feet (130 metres) at Hill St and Suffolk St which will provide 165
apartments and a 211 bed Radisson SAS Conference hotel. On site of former AEEU building, will include 7,000
sq ft office; 7,000 sq ft retail, health club, and A4 use and car parking facilities. Completion due 2006. Cost
£50.00 million.
Fort Dunlop: The six storey scheme, fronting the A47 and the M6, will create a gateway mixed development
in addition to a contemporary 100 bedroom Travelodge hotel. To consist of 300,000 sq ft of high quality offices.
Completion due 2006. Cost approx. £40.00.
Snow Hill: Proposals to transform the area adjacent to the Snow Hill station, to create a financial and legal
quarter, including offices, hotels, retail, 200 apartments, and two public squares. Completion due 2010. Cost
£220.00 million.
Birmingham New Hospitals Project: To replace the Queen Elizabeth and Selly Oak Hospitals and will
provide new forms of patient care with diagnostic and treatment areas, wards and support services on one
site. It will be the first new general hospital in Birmingham for over 60 years. Completion due 2009. Cost
£521.00 million.
Jewellery Quarter: Centre for Design Excellence: To encourage new design businesses into the area by
providing sheltered workshops as they establish themselves. Also high quality workshops and studio space
to be available for established designers and a gallery to display the latest in creative design. Completion due
2008. Cost £250.00 million.
Arena Central: The mixed use city centre development will include offices, retail, leisure, and residential
elements. The project will comprise the next step in the rejuvenation of the “west-end” of Birmingham City
Centre, following on from the success of the International Convention Centre, Symphony Hall, National Indoor
Arena and Brindleyplace. Completion due 2010. Cost £500.00 million.
Attwood Green/Park Central: The regeneration scheme is set to revitalise the concept of modern inner
city living by providing new commercial and housing opportunities, enhanced amenities and improved local
environment. Phase one (Park Central) will comprise commercial space, new homes, leisure facilities, and the
largest park within Birmingham’s Ring Road area. Completion due 2010. Cost £200.00 million.
Eastside: A 10-year plan to create new quarters for new activity. These include the completed Millennium
Point; the proposed Technology Park; a Media Village; and a Learning Quarter incorporating the new Library of
Birmingham. The new City Park will be the centrepiece of the scheme, with ‘green’ links to the city centre and
onto the canalside. Completion due 2010. Cost £6.00 billion.


Birmingham New Street Station: Proposals to double the size of the current concourse to house all waiting
rooms and other facilities. Completion due 2011. Cost TBA.
Paradise Circus: Flagship project to reposition Birmingham to compete more effectively for service sector
investment by creating one of the finest commercial office development opportunities to be made available
in the UK during the next 10 years. To involve the relocation of the Central Library to Eastside (see separate
entry). Completion due 2012. Cost £900.00 million
The City Centre is the cornerstone of the City Council’s commitment to
raise Birmingham’s national and international profile. In the last decade
it has undergone enormous physical and structural change. Steadily, it
has taken shape as a highly attractive and accessible place to visit, to
live and for business. Its reputation and influence as a major business,
tourism and international meeting place continue to grow.
Our main priorities for the City Centre are to:
• Maintain and improve access to the City Centre by both public and private transport
• Improve the quality of the environment, particularly for pedestrians

These principles underpin more detailed proposals for the City Centre set out in the Birmingham Plan. We
work with developers to ensure proposals for specific development reflect these principles, including for
example The Bull Ring, Martineau Galleries, Arena Central and the former Children’s Hospital site.
City Centre Quarter Planning Framework: The City Centre is divided into seven distinct quarters, each
with its own characteristics:
• City Centre Core
• Greater Convention Centre area
• Jewellery Quarter
• Chinese Quarter and Markets Area
• Gunsmiths Quarter
• Aston Triangle
• Digbeth Millennium Quarter