Increased footfall the goal as Mailbox owners plan revamp

THE owners of Birmingham’s Mailbox development are planning to spend tens of millions of pounds revamping the scheme.

London-based property investor Brockton Capital and partner Milligan Retail bought the Mailbox in April 2011 for £127m and a major facelift for the retail and leisure scheme has been predicted ever since.

Now it seems the Mailbox’s owners are set to make their move. Reports suggest anchor tenant Harvey Nichols will double the size of its presence at the scheme by relocating to a new site.

While the Mailbox has proved a popular destination as far as its bars and restaurants are concerned, the retail element of the scheme has suffered from low levels of footfall.

But with the New Street station redevelopment – and specifically the introduction of a new John Lewis department store – shifting the city centre focus towards nearby Hill Street, the Mailbox’s owners believe footfall will increase markedly.

It is likely that a key part of the Mailbox revamp will be to invest in the public areas outside the scheme to create better connectivity with Hill Street and the new John Lewis store.