No.1 Hagley Road to be converted into flats

HENDERSON Global Investors is planning to redevelop its 140,000 sq ft No 1 Hagley Road office tower in Birmingham into an apartment block.

And a new 165,000 sq ft building is planned on the site of the building’s current car park, possibly to be used as a hotel.

The 19 storey No.1 Hagley Road building in the Five Ways area has been an office building since it was built in the 1970s and its current tenants include transport company National Express.

But it seems its owners foresee better prospects from a different usage of the site which fronts Five Way Island at the the top of Broad Street. Henderson has submitted a planning application to convert the building into an apartment block, providing up to 182 flats. Four new penthouse floors will add a new skyline feature at the top.

The plans also propose the development of the car parking area, which at present fronts the Hagley Road. Henderson has proposed a new building, up to 14 storeys high, to provide up to 165,000 sq ft of either hotel or student accommodation with scope for retail and leisure uses on the ground floor.
Local architecture practice, Associated Architects has worked up plans for the scheme.

Martin Payne, fund manager at Henderson Global Investors, said: “Although No.1 Hagley Road continues to provide economical office accommodation for current and potential tenants through a flexible leasing structure, we are aware of the changing needs of the business community and the local area. We want to ensure that the building will continue to be utilised to its best potential for many years to come. 

“The proposals will not only give a viable long-term use to the building, but also generate the ability to greatly enhance the external appearance of this major landmark which sits in one of the key gateways to the city centre.”