£600m plan to create ‘Birmingham’s Canary Wharf’ unveiled
AMBITIOUS proposals to redevelop Birmingham city centre’s Snow Hill and Colmore area to turn it into the city’s equivalent of London professional services district Canary Wharf have been unveiled.
The masterplan also involves the redevelopment of Snow Hill station and the opening up of routes towards the Jewellery Quarter and the Gun Quarter.
Birmingham has ambitions to become a global professional services hub and has launched a 20-year vision for the central business area.
It has been suggested the transformation of the area could create 10,000 new jobs.
It is hoped the masterplan will attract further investment from global business, professional and financial services (BPFS) firms.
The Snow Hill Masterplan was launched by Birmingham City Council and Colmore Business District (CBD) at an event in Colmore Row this morning. It provides a framework to generate more than 200,000 sq m of new office space and boost the local economy by more than £600m a year.
The plan outlines the improvement of transport links such as the redevelopment of Snow Hill station which will include new commercial buildings replacing its multi-storey car park.
Sir Albert Bore, leader of Birmingham City Council, said: “Birmingham is putting in place the building blocks for a global business and financial centre. The city is already investing heavily to ensure that firms have everything they need to thrive here.
“The Snow Hill Masterplan provides a bold and exciting proposal for how Birmingham can continue to grow its thriving business and professional services sector. With time, we want the city to replicate the success of Canary Wharf, with areas like the Snow Hill district forming the cornerstone of this vision.
“Plans such as the revitalisation of Snow Hill station will strengthen Birmingham’s position as a destination for national and international BPFS firms that want to expand, attract skilled staff and join other successful companies in their sector.”
Gary Cardin, chair of CBD, said: “The Snow Hill Masterplan paints a picture of new landmark developments that will expand CBD and provide a sustainable supply of high-quality office and mixed-use space, supporting strong business and residential growth for decades to come.”
The plan outlines how Snow Hill station’s car park will be replaced with new office buildings, while a new concourse area will be created and new walking routes provided through the station.
It also includes the transformation of the A38, to create a new ‘urban boulevard’ connecting the neighbouring Jewellery and Gun Quarters, and the creation of a new urban neighbourhood in the Steelhouse Lane area.
It is designed to support existing investments including the £30m restoration of the Grand Hotel in Colmore Row, the arrival of HS2’s new construction headquarters at Two Snowhill and the extension of the £127m Midland Metro network through Birmingham city centre.
The masterplan sets out a strategy that will draw upon funding from the city’s Growth Deal and Birmingham’s Enterprise Zone – with the city council working with partners including CBD, Centro and Network Rail.
A six week period of public consultation on the Snow Hill Masterplan will run from February 9 until March 23.
