Plans have been submitted for a new £15 million serviced apartment scheme on the site of the former Science Museum in Birmingham.
Irish operator Staycity and property developer RO St Bernards have proposed a 190 bed development on Charlotte Street in the Jewellery Quarter Conservation Area.
The new application follows the principles established by a 2006 planning consent for a five storey building wrapping around the Whitmore Warehouse, which used to house the Science Museum.
The site has lain derelict since the closure of the museum in 1997 and the developers had originally planned a residential development.
John Griffiths, of joint letting agents GBR Phoenix Beard, said: “ROSB has been working tirelessly to attract occupiers to the site following the collapse of the housing market in 2008 and Staycity represents a major boost not only to the site but to the economy of the Jewellery Quarter and city as a whole.”
The planning application will be heard on December 20, with work expected to start on site early in the new year.
The scheme is scheduled to open in 2014 and will complement Staycity’s other operation in the city at the Arcadian Centre, Hurst Street.
Andrew Fowler, of Staycity, said: “We are delighted with the performance of our existing hotel in the Arcadian Centre and have been looking for a second site in Birmingham for some time.
“The site on Newhall Square is ideal for business, leisure and family guests, being just a short walk from New Street and Snow Hill stations and with pedestrian links via the canal towpath to Brindleyplace, the National Indoor Arena and Sea Life centre.”
Following demolition and remediation on the Charlotte Street site, including the retention and refurbishment of two listed buildings, ROSB completed the first phase of the development in 2009, which includes a 100-bed Travelodge hotel and 20,000 sq ft of offices let to NSPCC, MADE and the Ormiston Academies Trust.
Chris Bond of Property 252, ROSB’s advisors on the project, said: “This will be one of the first developments in the recently announced enterprise zone and so will not only transform a derelict site, attract more visitors to the city, create new jobs and inward investment but the additional income the council will receive under Enterprise Zone legislation from the additional business rates will provide much needed investment for infrastructure projects elsewhere in the city.”
The apartments will accommodate more than 700 guests a night, generating around £13 million per annum for the city, developers claim.
Craig Satchwell, of joint letting agents Colliers International, said: “To date many of the larger lettings in the city have seen occupiers consolidating or upgrading premises. Staycity’s expansion in terms of a second larger hotel is therefore to be welcomed.”
Keith Stanley, operations director at the Jewellery Quarter Development Trust, added: “We welcome the on-going regeneration of this key site in the Jewellery Quarter, with its ability to provide jobs and stimulate the local economy.
“A sensible approach from all parties has created a scheme that will work in economic terms and yet helps preserve and enhance the unique character of the Jewellery Quarter.”
