Work to finally start on tower
THE Kuwaiti developer behind plans for one of Birmingham’s tallest buildings has revealed work will finally start on its construction this year.
Salhia Investments says it intends to start building phases two and three of the Beorma Quarter by the end of 2018, more than two years after planning permission was secured for the site.
City council planning chiefs awarded the project the green light in December 2015 and Salhia promised at the time that work would start in early 2016.
Then in January last year a demolition contractor was appointed to begin knocking down the old buildings on the site opposite Selfridges ahead of construction work due to be starting last Sep- tember. The first phase of the Beorma Quarter was largely completed in summer 2015 and comprises a new Adagio apart-hotel and the revamp of the Digbeth Cold Storage building, now home to the Prince’s Trust.
Phase two includes plans for a 30-storey tower, with 125 apartments and offices on the corner of Park Street and Digbeth.
Phase three comprises two further office and residential blocks, of 14 and seven storeys respectively, on land off Well Lane at the rear of the site.
There will also be a new public square called Orwell Place at ground level.
Salhia Investments says it is now on the hunt for occupiers of the new buildings for pre-let deals and claims “negotiations are in hand with several interested parties”.
The overall development cost is estimated to be £158 million.
Abdulaziz Al-Nafisi, deputy chief executive of listed Salhia, said: “We’ve been investing in UK property for over 20 years.
“Beorma Quarter will be our first stand-alone, UK project.
“With a focus on Birmingham because of HS2 and the Midlands Engine, we think the development will be a great addition to the city and further boost the local economy in the Digbeth district.”
Proposals for the Beorma Quarter date back to before the recession and a previous planning permission awarded in 2009 contained plans for a 27-storey block.
Work was due to start in 2009 before coming to the table again in 2010 and also 2012, after the planning permission was renewed, following a land grab dispute the previous year.