Next phase of major city square revealed

37-storey apartment block and hotel among the plans

NEW images of a major Birmingham city centre development have been released ahead of a crucial meeting to decide its fate.

Phase two of Exchange Square will comprise a 37-storey residential block and a 15-storey Premier Inn hotel if the scheme is given the green light by Birmingham City Council’s planning committee.

The newly released images show how the project, in Priory Queensway, will look next to the first phase of Exchange Square which contains more than 600 new apartments for rent.

The planning committee is due to meet this Thursday (December 19) to discuss the application for phase two which has been recommended for approval. Consent is already in place for 223 apartments and 22,500 sq ft of retail accommodation.

But Manchester-based developer

Nikal submitted revised proposals earlier this year after securing a £77 million sale to Grainger for 375 build-to-rent apartments and a prelet to Whitbread for a 235-bedroom Premier Inn and 6,000 sq ft Bar + Block Steakhouse restaurant.

The proposals also include 7,500 sq ft of retail space, 63 undercroft car parking spaces and New City Square, a new half-acre public space linking Exchange Square with the neighbouring McLaren office tower.

Subject to planning approval, work on phase two is scheduled to start early next year.

The proposals have been designed by architecture practice Stephenson Studio which also worked on the recently completed phase one, containing 603 apartments known as ‘Allegro’.

Exchange Square is built on the site of the old Masshouse Circus island and will complete Nikal’s long-running regeneration of the estate which also contains the Masshouse and Hive apartment blocks.