Hammerson has set out its vision for the regeneration of Martineau Galleries in Birmingham City Centre.

City Quarters will create mixed-use neighbourhoods beyond pure retail to curate and deliver homes, workspace, leisure, cultural and educational space around Hammerson's existing retail destinations, in locations around the UK and Ireland.

Proposals for the 7.5-acre site include up to 1,300 homes and 1.4m sq ft of workspace that will offer opportunities for a range of businesses, as well as a new city centre hotel, restaurants and cafes. The scheme will also deliver a signature gateway to Birmingham from the proposed Curzon Street terminal (part of the proposed HS2) and high-quality public realm, including a new public square and boulevard.

-- Advertisement --

The site forms a significant part of Birmingham city centre, with strategic links to the wider area, including the High Street which links Martineau Galleries to the Bullring Estate. The scheme will deliver a new neighbourhood that extends the High Street, and embraces key future connections, including train, tram and bus networks and the proposed Curzon Street station and metro extension, creating a natural flow through the city.

Plans for the site, which currently include The Square Shopping Centre, King's Parade and Dale End (High Street) car park, have been designed to continue Birmingham's ambition for growth and further strengthen the city’s position as one of the leading centres for business, leisure and living in the UK. Approximately 350 full-time construction jobs will be created per year over the life of the demolition and construction phases of the project. Once completed, the development will provide around 8,000 new full-time jobs on site, across the office-space, restaurants, and cafes.

Following the public consultation, Hammerson intends to submit an outline planning application to Birmingham City Council later this year, with the aim of starting works in 2022.