Plans lodged for university’s £60m business hub
Birmingham City University has unveiled designs for the second phase of its regeneration of the former Belmont Works factory which will create a £60m business hub.
Plans lodged with Birmingham City Council for the the second phase of the university’s STEAMhouse project include the construction of a five-storey building and the partial demolition, restoration and extension of the former cycle plant which was destroyed by fire ten years ago.
The centre would be used by SMEs and artists as a place to work together on new projects and business ideas.
Subject to planning, work is due to start this summer and completed in 2021.
Professor Julian Beer, deputy vice -chancellor at Birmingham City University, said: “STEAMhouse has the ability to play a central role in supporting the region’s business community, developing skills and underpinning economic growth.
“These plans represent a major step forward for Phase Two of the project and will provide even more state-of-the-art facilities for businesses, artists and academics to collaborate on innovative new ideas.
“It is equally pleasing to have the opportunity to revitalise a historic Birmingham building in a part of the city which has already seen major transformation and will soon welcome HS2.”
Last May, West Midlands Mayor Andy Street cut the ribbon to open phase one of the scheme.
Based in the former car dealership on Digbeth High Street, Phase One of STEAMhouse features a range of state-of-the-art facilities which people can access for free, ranging from 3D printers and laser cutting machinery to virtual reality technology and printing studios.
It is set over eight different rooms and is equipped with dedicated technicians to support entrepreneurs in their ventures.
STEAMhouse has received funding from the Government, the European Regional Development Fund and Arts Council England, in partnership with Eastside Projects.
Its development is in part a response to a range of reports which indicate that small businesses across the West Midlands are lagging behind on collaborative innovation.
By linking academic research and the vibrant creative arts scene in Birmingham’s Digbeth area, the university hopes to develop a new supply chain across the region.
