Central Hall back on the market after hotel plans collapse

CGI of The Dean Birmingham. Credit: TODD Architects.

Birmingham’s Methodist Central Hall is back on the market, after major redevelopment plans fell through. 

Irish leisure and hospitality group Press Up Hospitality and sister development company Oakmount, had planning permission to change the use of the Grade II listed building to create a 155-room luxury hotel called The Dean.

Proposals featured eight bars and restaurants, a gym, event spaces, and a three-story rooftop extension with a panoramic view restaurant.

Dublin-based lender AHG Properties had funded the deal to acquire the site, but appointed Damian Webb and Christopher Lewis of RSM as receivers to the scheme last November.

AHG has also filed legal action in the Irish High Court against Press Up co-founder Paddy McKillen Jr. Paddy McKillen Jr alongside his property tycoon father Paddy McKillen Sr owned and operated some of Dublin’s best-known bars, restaurants and hotels.

Now the 90,400 sq ft site and its redevelopment plans have been brought to market by Savills and Sanderson Weatherall. 

Michael Maguire, director in the Savills Birmingham development team said: “The sale of Central Hall presents a rare freehold development opportunity to acquire arguably one of Birmingham’s most iconic Victorian buildings in Birmingham city centre.

“Given its prime location, in the heart of the civic quarter, and the huge potential it has to create an exciting, hotel led development, with scope for potential alternate uses, we are expecting the site to attract a high level of interest.”