Sterling Property Ventures and Rockspring have applied to Birmingham city council for permission to demolish the central business district’s tallest office block.
The new owners of 103 Colmore Row acquired the 1970s office block from British Land last November. The 22-storey tower, which was occupied by NatWest, and is known locally as the Natwest Tower, has been vacant since 2003.
The building sits in a conservation area on the corner of Colmore Row and Newhall Street and has planning consent for a 35-storey tower. However, Sterling and Rockspring are currently revising these plans. A smaller-scale development, similar in size to the existing structure, is currently being drawn up by Doone Silver Architects.
A full revised planning application will be made in April.
The dismantling of the concrete-paneled tower will take between 10-12 months and Sterling and Rockspring plans to start on site in March 2015.
The duo aim to secure a revised consent while the site is being cleared.
James Howarth, managing director of Sterling Property Ventures, said: “There is an urgent need for the early delivery of a high-quality office space in the city centre enterprise zone, given that much of Birmingham’s grade A space has been let and demand from occupiers is increasing.
“The 103 Colmore Row building sits on a prominent site along Birmingham’s best business address, yet it has become the poster boy for the city’s lack of speculative development. We acquired the site at the end of last year with the intention of being the first new office build to be delivered in Birmingham’s central business district since Two Snowhill.
“If we are able to commence demolition work while the new building is designed, approved and contracted, it’s entirely feasible that Birmingham will have a new grade A office tower, comprising more than 200,000 sq ft, by the end of 2017.”
Howarth said that the development is not contingent upon a prelet. “We have both the funds and the confidence to build speculatively,” he said.
