Warehouse to make way for striking new apartments
THE site of an old warehouse in Hockley could be transformed into a striking new residential block.
Plans for the new apartments on Icknield Street in the Jewellery Quarter show a dramatic design that blends in with the neighbouring, listed Icknield Street School.
Developers, Venturi Architects, say a rooftop vegetable garden and a playground for children will help to build a sense of community and make this an eco-friendly design.
The site, which is currently occupied by a three-storey industrial building, was the subject of a previous application in 2020 to develop the site into a hostel and gym which was later withdrawn.
It also sits to the south of the derelict Muhammad Ali Centreopened by the boxer himself and now set for demolition and conversion into a community centre.
Outlining the new design and form of their chosen approach, the architects wrote: “The application proposals provide for the efficient and effective reuse of previously developed land in a sustainable location to provide much needed new homes, including affordable housing, that will contribute to the pressing identified need within the city.
“The proposed design of the development will result in a high-quality building that will help to enhance the street scene within the locality. The development has been designed to provide a high-quality living environment for future residents through the inclusion of dwellings that meet the National Described Space Standard, good quality landscape and communal areas and measures to ensure a satisfactory internal living environment.
“Inclusion of the identified measures ensures that the development is both complementary and non-prejudicial to surrounding uses.”
The plans will now go before a Birmingham City Council.