John Lewis has officially taken ownership of its new shop in Grand Central, Birmingham, an important milestone that marks the end of the construction.

John Lewis will be the anchor tenant of the Grand Central development at Birmingham New Street station when it opens in 2015.

Grand Central will also hold 40 premium high street stores and more than 20 new concept cafes and restaurants. John Lewis is investing £35m in its new 250,000 square feet shop, which will be one of the largest outside London, offering more than 350,000 products. These include fashion, furniture, home-wares, beauty and technology.

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Unique to John Lewis Birmingham, the design of the four-storey shop will reflect fluidity and movement, symbolising the rich jewellery heritage of the City. The walkways and restaurants of Grand Central will continue with this theme and will be flooded with natural light from the huge glass atrium which sits high above. The entire shopping centre and station will be wrapped in a mirror-polished stainless steel façade, creating a landmark building in the heart of Birmingham.

Jeremy Collins, Property Director, John Lewis, said: "The handover is a significant milestone for John Lewis Birmingham. We have held an ambition to open in the city for many years. We are looking forward to expanding our reach to customers across the region for the first time, providing them with more convenient access to our inspiring products and great service.

"Our aspiration is for John Lewis Birmingham to become the cornerstone of wider regeneration in the south side of the city centre and to deliver a legacy of real quality and value to the area. We're looking forward to becoming part of the local community."

(CD/JP)