£50m plans revealed to create ‘leading European surf destination’
£50m plans to deliver a Birmingham wave park have been announced by Stoneweg Infrasport, as it looks to cement the city as one of Europe’s leading urban surf destinations.
A partnership has recently been formed between, Stoneweg and Teras Capital, focused on the acquisition, development and operation of man-made urban surf destinations across Europe.
The former Emerge Surf development in Coleshill, Birmingham has been acquired from IM Properties and will be the second being developed by JV. Last year it announced plans of what will be the largest wave park in Europe, in Madrid, in partnership with Atlético de Madrid. The JV is also currently looking into the viability of a third wave park development in Malaga.
Birmingham’s wave park will be centred around a 5.4-acre man-made WaveGarden Cove surfing lagoon, able to generate 1,000 waves per hour, up to two meters high, with adjustable height and shape.
Due to be completed in Q4 2025 and expecting to welcome 200,000 visitors per year, Steve Price will stay on as general manager at the park.
Miguel de Lucas, managing partner at Teras Capital, said: “We are excited to be leading this project, the second Stoneweg InfraSport investment. This new wave park in Birmingham represents our commitment to fuse sport and leisure, offering an innovative experience in what is the second-largest metropolitan area in the UK. This project will not only provide access to urban surfing for millions of people but will also become an international benchmark in terms of the facilities and entertainment offered for visitors.
“Our InfraSport strategy extends our track record of continually innovating and diversifying our product range to reflect changing consumer behaviour and to meet the demands of institutional capital for exposure to dynamic, experiential real estate that will deliver strong, long-term returns. This is a unique opportunity, alongside a best-in-class partner, to be a first mover in delivering a high-quality, pan-European portfolio of leisure-led destinations, that capitalise on the growth prospects of what is one of the few truly global sports.”
Visitors will have access to a surf academy, equipment rental and surf store, restaurant areas with coworking spaces and additional recreational activities including hot tubs, a playground and a pump track.
Jaume Sabater, CEO of Stoneweg, said: “This project will see Stoneweg combine its real estate expertise and commitment to social impact through the delivery of a ground-breaking new development that brings one of the world’s most popular sports to the UK’s second-largest metropolitan area. We are also excited to have closed our first investment in the UK, one of Europe’s key real estate markets and one which has witnessed a strong post-covid bounce back in demand for leisure activity.”
