Plans for the first office phase of development at the proposed 2.3m sq ft mixed-use Arena Central project in Birmingham are to go before council planners next week.
Birmingham council’s cabinet will meet on Monday to discuss the plans to move forward on the 2.3m sq ft project.
Arena Central Developments – a joint venture between Miller Developments and Andy Ruhan’s Bridgehouse Capital – is looking to build as much as 100,000 sq ft of offices in the first phase on the 7.6 acre site, details of which will be announced in the new year.
Progress at the site, where Miller became involved a decade ago, has to date been glacial owing to the economic downturn. However, work so far includes a refurbishment of the existing Crowne Plaza hotel, the demolition of a former multi-storey car park at the junction of Holliday Street and Bridge street and in October 2012 ACD sold a small plot of land to Centre Island Birmingham, which is now building a 14-storey, 210-bedroom Holiday Inn Express hotel and 10,000 sq ft health club due for completion in 2015.
Arena Central is a key part of the city centre enterprise zone, along with Paradise Circus. Plans to extend the Midland Metro tram line and regenerate Centenary Square have recently been approved and will help boost the project.
The scheme already has outline consent for up to 2.3m sq ft of mixed-use development, including 800,000 sq ft of grade-A office space, 200,000 sq ft of residential and up to 1.2m sq ft of retail and leisure.
