Business district set for massive transformation Vision for £10m plan to create people-friendly Colmore Row
AN ambitious £10 million plan to transform Birmingham’s Colmore Row into a pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare has been revealed.
The vision, drawn up by architects Broadway Malyan, will see a major transformation of the main route through the city’s business district.
The aim of the multi-stage project is to create a more pleasant environment for the public with ‘pocket parks’, pedestrian priority and decluttering of unsightly street furniture.
It means vehicles and buses will share the space with people, following a growing trend in some parts of Europe to do away with traditional roadways and demarcated pavements.
Colmore Business Improvement District and Birmingham City Council first announced plans last May for a revamp of the square outside Snow Hill station and the makeover of Colmore Row.
It is hoped the investment will pay off for business tenants in the area and attract further investment.
Broadway Malyan has now completed the preliminary work on the scheme which stretches from Steelhouse Lane to Victoria Square, and identified six project areas that will go for- ward for detailed design development.
The six areas revamped are: Colmore Row; The junction of Colmore Row and Newhall Street ;
Cornwall Street ; which will be
The top of Church Street near Colmore Row; Barwick Street ; Steelhouse Square Colmore Plaza at the Steelhouse Lane.
Broadway Malyan director Danny Crump, who is leading the team that also includes SYSTRA, WYG and Hoare Lea, said the completion of the masterplan laid down an important framework that established ideas that could be implemented across the area.
He said: “Each of these areas have their own character and characteristics with different needs and opportunities to improve the public realm and having completed the strategic plan we are now able to develop each area further and refine concepts while adhering to a consistent set of design principles.
“We are looking at initiatives that will completely reimagine the Snow Hill area by ‘detuning’ the highway character, moving away from vehicle dominance and putting pedestrians and cyclists first and at its heart.
“Ultimately this will include the introduction of some new public spaces and pedestrian priority areas, new green infrastructure, pocket parks, new street furniture and general decluttering.
“It will also encourage businesses to spill out and occupy a more vibrant streetscene, helping to add value to the Snow Hill area while creating a more inter- outside top of esting and energetic street environment.”
The detailed design stage of the project is likely to take up to ten months with work possibly starting on the first project in late 2017. The first part of the project will see significant improvements to the square outside Snow Hill Station including traffic calming, new street furniture and tree planting alongside the development of a new underground restaurant.
Mike Mounfield, projects manager at Colmore BID, added: “This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to radically improve the experience of people who work, live and visit the Colmore area.
“We are currently building a coalition of property owners interested in supplementing the programme funding to make sure all these transformational projects go ahead.”
Councillor John Clancy, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “I’ll be watching with interest the regeneration of the area around Snow Hill and Colmore Row.
“Not only is this the beating heart of Birmingham’s business district, it is also an important gateway into the city centre where improvements to the public realm are long overdue.
“The changes planned will help to revitalise Snow Hill making it easier to attract inward investment, creating jobs and inclusive economic growth.”
This is a oncein-a-generation opportunity to radically improve the experience of people who work, live and visit the Colmore area