The 20-year vision to regenerate the Snow Hill and Colmore areas of Birmingham city centre is set to be adopted next week.
The Snow Hill masterplan will see an annual investment of £600m and bring forward 2.2m sq ft of new office space in the city.
The masterplan was launched by Birmingham city council and the Colmore Business District BID in February. A public consultation has since taken place and Birmingham cabinet members are set to formally adopt the plan at their next meeting, on 20 October.
The plan aims to create a new professional and financial services hub, transforming the city’s business district with phased developed until 2035. Birmingham council and the BID hopes it will replicate the success of London’s Canary Wharf.
Tahir Ali, council cabinet member for development, transport and the economy, said: “This bold and exciting masterplan is about setting out our shared vision for the future development of this key city centre district, maximising its potential and making the most of the opportunities available to help boost economic growth in Birmingham.
“The response to the public consultation has been fantastic and I am delighted that we have now reached the stage where the plan can be formally adopted by cabinet.”
When launched, the masterplan set out key development principles for the Snow Hill and Colmore districts, and will see the outdated Snow Hill station transformed into a world-class transport hub, akin to the revamped New Street station.
Snow Hill station will see the major redevelopment on the site of the Livery Street car park, which will be demolished to make way for major commercial buildings.
A new station concourse area will be created and new walking routes provided through the station. The A38 will be transformed to create a new urban boulevard connecting the neighbouring Jewellery and Gun quarters, and a new urban neighbourhood in the Steelhouse Lane area will be created. As part of the proposals, regeneration opportunities will also centre on the Birmingham Children’s Hospital site on Whittall Street and the law courts area on Steelhouse Lane.
The masterplan also includes provision for 4,000 new homes and 10,000 new jobs.
lisa.pilkington@estatesgazette.com
