Construction partner set to deliver £33m logistics hub revealed

GMI Construction has been awarded the contract to deliver a £32.9m logistics park, on the former Pilkington Automotive and GKN Aerospace sites.

The 29-acre brownfield site in King’s Norton will be transformed into a 400,000 sq ft warehousing and logistics hub, named Urban 8 Logistics Park, by the end of next year.

Developed by Tristan Capital Partners and Canmoor, in partnership with regeneration specialists St Francis Group, Urban 8 Logistics Park will feature eight energy efficient units which range from 25,000 sq ft to 70,000 sq ft.

Planning permission was granted in February 2021, following the closure of GKN’s factory for windscreens and windows for civilian and military aircraft in 2019 and Pilkington Automotive’s consolidation of its operations into a larger warehouse in nearby Redditch.

All units will achieve a BREEM Excellent rating as well as featuring a variety of sustainable measures including LED lighting, more than 300,00kWh/annum of PV power generation, electric vehicle charging and energy saving infrastructure, resulting in overall CO2 emissions savings of 25%.

The speculative development, which could create 900 jobs, will be managed by St Francis Group.

Gareth Jones, GMI’s divisional managing director for the Midlands, said: “We are pleased to have been appointed principal contractor for this high-profile scheme, one that will support investment and create jobs by providing much-needed logistics and manufacturing space.

“GMI has a proven track record of delivering large, high specification industrial units across the Midlands, and we look forward to delivering another high-quality development that will meet market demand.”

Ben Reaney, project development lead at St Francis Group said: “This warehousing and logistics hub is already keenly anticipated due to its prime location and mix of mid box units.

“Urban 8 Logistics Park will deliver levels of quality and sustainability that will exceed expectations.”
The development is due to be completed by GMI by Q4 2024.