Property briefs: Gilders Yard; Pure Gym; Birmingham Civic Society
Ground has been broken on a £28m build-to-rent scheme on the site of the former J Ashford & Son jewellery factory in Birmingham.
The restoration by Shaylor Group, Blackswan Property and Grainger sees the complex refurbishment of the listed building alongside the construction of two apartment buildings.
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street visited the Great Hampton Street site where the building works are taking place.
Andy Street said: “The success of the Jewellery Quarter as a thriving community is now beginning to spread into the neighbouring Gun Quarter and developments like Gilder’s Yard demonstrate this clearly.”
156 homes will be built at Gilders Yard on behalf of residential landlord Grainger, which has agreed to forward fund and acquire the private rented sector development from Blackswan.
*****
PureGym is to open its sixth gym in Birmingham after taking 16,000 sq ft in the Arcadian Centre.
The gym operator has signed a 15-year lease for the city centre site and plans to open later this summer.
Rapleys sourced the four-storey unit for PureGym, which will look to benefit from the popularity of the area, which is close to Chinatown, and the number of apartments currently under development nearby.
Alfred Bartlett, head of the retail and leisure rroup at Rapleys, said: “We felt the diverse offering of the Arcadian, with the exciting range of on-going and proposed developments, made this an ideal location for Pure Gym and we are delight to have assisted with their latest branch opening in Birmingham.”
*****
The Queen Victoria statue in Birmingham
The statue, situated in Victoria Square, is cared for by Birmingham Museums Trust on behalf of Birmingham City Council, and has stood in the city centre since 1901 when it was unveiled just 12 days before Queen Victoria’s death.
Originally created in marble by Thomas Brock, the statue was recast in bronze by William Bloye in 1951. The artwork now requires conservation work to clean and maintain the statue and its pedestal.
In November 2017 the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) awarded a National Lottery grant of £55,700 towards the “The City Beautiful” project to celebrate and commemorate the centenary of the Society. Conservation specialist Ian Clark Restoration will undertake the work.
