Sphere Group is delighted to be supporting Birmingham City Council and other partners with the promotion of a ‘once in a generation’ opportunity to transform the centre of Birmingham.

Launched today at the MIPIM property and investment conference, the Birmingham Central Heart prospectus sets out plans to transform around four hectares of under-used retail and office space at the heart of the city into a vibrant mixed-use neighbourhood, supported by new transport connections, green spaces and public realm improvements.

The proposals are expected to deliver up to 5,000 new homes, around 8,000 jobs, 117,500 square metres of new mixed-use workspace and over seven hectares of new and improved public space over the coming years.

The area will act as a key gateway between HS2 Curzon Street Station, the Bullring, New Street Station, the Colmore Business District and the wider city centre, with new linear green routes, safer streets for walking and cycling and better links to employment, education and cultural destinations.

The ambition is to double green space in the central area, creating new places to relax, play and meet in the city’s busiest streets.

Sphere Group joined the council team in Cannes alongside other key private sector and institutional partners to help secure the investment needed to turn this vision into reality.

Commenting on the launch of the prospectus, our Chief Executive Officer, Alex Neale, said: “Birmingham Central Heart represents a compelling long-term investment proposition for the city. It brings together strategic vision, public-private collaboration, and prime city-centre location to create a framework capable of unlocking substantial economic growth and inward investment.

“As a Birmingham-based developer with an established track record of delivering high-quality schemes, Sphere Group is proud to be working alongside the Council and Gensler to help realise this opportunity. We believe the vision sets the right foundations for sustainable value creation, combining commercial, residential and leisure uses in a way that strengthens the city’s core and enhances its global competitiveness.

“The project reflects growing confidence in Birmingham’s investment market, underpinned by strong fundamentals including population growth, connectivity improvements and increasing occupational demand across multiple sectors.”

Joanne Roney CBE, Managing Director of Birmingham City Council, led the city’s delegation and acts as spokesperson for the Birmingham Central Heart prospectus.

She said: “With the potential for up to 5,000 homes, up to 8,000 jobs, over 400,000 sqm of commercial floorspace and over 7 hectares of new public space - the Central Heart Prospectus outlines one of the most exciting investment pipelines in the Uk, but it is not just about buildings.

“MIPIM is an important marketplace where cities compete for long term investment. By going out and making the case for Birmingham Central Heart, we are making a strong case for new, high-quality homes, thousands of good jobs and a cleaner, greener city centre that works for the people who live, work and study here.

“Our message to investors is clear; if you want to back a growing, youthful, diverse city with a clear plan and a strong partnership between the council, business and communities, Birmingham is the place to invest.”

Birmingham Central Heart sits within the emerging Central Heart Growth Zone of the Birmingham Local Plan and is aligned with the Central Birmingham Framework 2045 and the Economy and Place Strategy, which identifies the area as critical to the city’s long-term growth.

Speaking about Sphere Group’s ongoing role within Central Heart, Alex went on to add: “In parallel to our broader support work, we are progressing proposals for the comprehensive regeneration of the former Rackhams building, where we are acting as development partner with Legal & General. This scheme will represent a significant private-sector commitment to the city centre and will further demonstrate the strength of investor appetite for well-located, design-led mixed-use assets.

“We are currently working through the early design and viability stages of the project and further details will be announced later this year.”

Please contact us for any investment enquiries at jt@spheregroup.uk

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