Plans for 928 new apartments at site of former car showroom
ALMOST 1,000 new apartments are set to be built on one of Birmingham’s most prominent city centre thoroughfares in a development reaching up to 30 storeys.
City developer Court Collaboration has lodged new plans to build the complex of seven separate buildings on the former Peugeot showroom site in Digbeth.
Founder Anthony McCourt said the project would have 928 apartments, with a 50/50 mix of one-and two-bedroom units, and 12,000 sq ft of ground-floor flexible commercial space for uses such as a gym, cinema or co-working space.
This road leading to Smithfield and Bullring is a major gateway into the city centre which needs something that makes a statement...
Anthony McCourt
If approved, the project would occupy land at the corner of Alcester Street and High Street Deritend once used by the Bull Ring Trading Estate and be called ‘The Stone Yard’, a rebranding from its earlier working title The Charter.
Mr McCourt said: “The tallest of the buildings will be 30 storeys so, in terms of the High Street, it will really set the scene.
“This road leading to Smithfield and Bullring is a major gateway into the city centre which needs something that makes a statement so it’s sensible to create a building of scale there.
“It will be a mix of apartments to rent and also for sale.
“You can do this model much more easily when you have a cluster of buildings as they are more naturally self-divisible and change the exit strategy.
“I don’t think there’s enough of these kind of mixed schemes in Birmingham at the moment.”
Subject to planning consent, work is expected to start in the second quarter of 2020 and take two and a half years to complete.
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It is the latest in a long line of plans for large-scale residential developments across Birmingham city centre.
Seven Capital is behind the longawaited Connaught Square project to build more than 700 units, also fronting onto High Street Deritend.
In May, Court Collaboration announced proposals for the 51-storey ‘One Eastside’ project with 667 apartments next to Aston University’s campus and in July Euro Property Investments lodged plans to build a 61-storey tower in Broad Street containing 503 units.
In a separate announcement, Court Collaboration has recently undergone a change in management structure, with Alex Neale taking over as managing director.
Mr Neale joined Court Collaboration in 2015 and was working as joint managing director before being appointed to the sole role himself.
Mr McCourt said: “Since he started, Alex has trail blazed and hungrily sought new opportunities for our global capital suite to look to invest into.
“Alex is smart, ambitious but great with people inside and outside the business and I know he’s got exciting plans for Court Collaboration in the months and years ahead.”
Mr Neale added: “Becoming managing director is a huge personal and professional achievement and something I have worked hard towards throughout my career.
“I look forward to taking the business forward and building on our recent successes.”