City centre office building set for multi-million facelift
A BIRMINGHAM city centre office building is to undergo a multi-million-pound refurbishment more than a year after being acquired by new owners.
Norfolk House’s 1960s design is now challenged due to its proximity to New Street Station, while upgrades to Century City House and plans to build a 25-storey hotel on the site of Gallan House in Hill Street have highlighted the need to bring the building into the 21st century.
Owners London and Scottish purchased the building in April last year with the specific intention of helping the city address its shortage of Grade A office space and to capitalise on the redevelopment of New Street and the new Grand Central.
Contractors are undertaking a full refurbishment of the vacant floors in the 80,000 sq ft building on Smallbrook Queensway, stripping the space back to shell and retrofitting to provide Grade A specification offices. The reception and core circulation areas are also being refurbished to a high standard, to try and create a more contemporary feel across the building’s six floors.
Norfolk House is currently home to marketing company Spark 44 and the Government Tribunal Service (HMTS) and with circa 50,000 sq ft of space available on the ground, first and third floors, represents one of the few in the city that can satisfy large single floor plate enquiries of over 10,000 sq ft.
The bow-fronted building was originally intended to be a warehouse, however it later incorporated offices and retail units and is now locally listed. The façade is clad in stone and there is a wavy shell concrete canopy above the street level.
Steven Griffiths, London and Scottish Investment, said: “Norfolk House is a unique destination within Birmingham, with a great location next to New Street and the Bullring and a huge degree of potential for the delivery of truly outstanding offices.
“The Birmingham marketplace is continuing to receive significant levels of interest from national occupiers and this refurbishment will ensure that there is sufficient space of a high enough quality to meet this demand.”
