Transformational plans lodged for city centre office building
Plans have been submitted to transform a Birmingham commercial building into a purpose-built student accommodation scheme.
Developer Linden Hill – Capital Assets – SPW is looking to extend and retrofit Maple House at 150 Corporation Street, into a 383-bed student scheme.
Already standing at five storeys tall, the building would be extended to ten storeys and include 207 ensuite studios & 176 six, seven, & ten-bed clusters, along with 164 bicycle spaces within two-tier cycle racks and a retained basement car park.
The ground floor would be reconfigured to retain Tesco’s, whilst adding study areas, lounges, an eating area, a games room and a gym.
Maple House is currently used as flexible office space, but the building had replaced The Grand Theatre, which was demolished in 1963. Planning consultants Lambert Smith Hampton said that the proposals for the building will aim to “reference and draw upon the architectural language and historical uses of the original Grand Theatre building”.
Plans for a tall tower were knocked back by Birmingham City Council’s planning leadership in December 2023, over fears that a tower at this location would have elevated risk and likely insufficient support through the formal planning process.
As the site is located within the Steelhouse Conservation Area, the revised proposal has been developed further by architect ECE Westworks, and heritage and townscape advisor Node and includes consideration by the Conservation Heritage Panel.
