Landmark building Monaco House is finally being demolished in Bristol Street after years of failed attempts to flatten it.

Last year the Central Library bit the dust – and earlier this year it was Powergen in Shirley.

Now another DSM concrete-chewer has arrived in the city and this time it’s gorging on Bristol Street’s own blot on the landscape.

In recent years, Monaco House at B5 7AS has been vandalised, daubed with graffiti and increasingly become a haven for needle users.

Today it is on its knees, with the Wrentham Street end of the building now partly demolished and exposing what’s remaining of the interior floors to the elements.

A concrete biter demolishes Monaco House on Bristol Street
A concrete biter demolishes Monaco House on Bristol Street

Soon, it will have been totally flattened by Fox Brothers Demolition on its way to becoming a distant memory.

Back in the 1980s, Monaco House was a backdrop for the pioneering Superprix races around the city’s streets and the area around it was used for the pits.

The name alone – presented vertically down the front of the building not once, but twice – added a touch of glamour where none might otherwise have been thanks to the fact that it shared its name with the world-famous Grand Prix in the super-rich principality.

Looking down Bristol Street towards Belgrave Middleway on the A38 southbound
Looking down Bristol Street towards Belgrave Middleway on the A38 southbound

More recently, though, the building has simply looked the pits.

But that is to deny the fact that the Superprix helped to develop a future British F1world champion, Damon Hill (1996 – the only son of a former world champion to become one himself) and a back-to-back champion, Mika Hakkinen (1998-99).

The event wasn’t to last, though, becoming a victim of British weather and the issue that if there were any crashes, it was hard to clear up the mess.

Monaco House just before demolition began
Monaco House just before demolition began

Monaco House itself was a typical post-war modern office block where businesses once included Andersons Tutors Ltd which provided a training school for chartered accountancy students.

Afternoon sunshine could make the concrete structure look quite striking in its heyday, but the building offered no competition to the nearby redbrick, recently-restored terrace that’s closer towards the city on Bristol Street.

Monaco House sat on top of retail outlets that more recently housed furniture showrooms like Leather World which applied for a change of use from the previous car showroom in 2008.

A building clearly at the end of life
A building clearly at the end of life

And it was also next to the smaller, but equally vandalised Nova House, as well as a petrol station that was hard to leave after filling up because of the volume of passing traffic, especially at peak time.

For years, the site was subject to speculation that it was going to house a giant Tesco , but those plans never materialised just like a potential rival ASDA store on the other side of Bristol Street has given way to new apartments.

Vandalised office block Nova House next to Monaco House
Vandalised office block Nova House next to Monaco House

Now a real estate investment and development company called MCR Property is behind a Regency Residential £275 million landmark redevelopment of the site.

Established in 1989, MCR is planning a development of 1,050 units to create a mixed-use “modern village environment” for tenants and homeowners.

What is being demolished?

The final curtain for Monaco House - July, 2017
The final curtain for Monaco House - July, 2017

The six-acre site comprises of Monaco House (six storeys of former office accommodation), a three storey multi-storey car park, private access, a mix of small scale industrial units and a petrol filling station.

Council documents show repeated applications have been made since the turn of the century to demolish them.

A fine mess - the old entrance to Monaco House
A fine mess - the old entrance to Monaco House

A council report approving a planned demolition in 2016 noted: “The buildings are not locally or statutorily listed, are of little architectural merit and are currently in a poor state of repair, attracting a significant amount of anti-social behaviour. The site has also long been identified as a redevelopment opportunity.”

That work was originally expected to have been completed by March, 2017.

Planning documents in 2016 showed that removing asbestos would take a week at Nova House and up to 15 weeks at Monaco House.

It would take six weeks to flatten Nova House and nine to obliterate it’s big ugly sister, with the petrol station expected to take three weeks.

What was the Superprix?

1986 Superprix - Bristol Street
1986 Superprix - Bristol Street

The Birmingham Road Race Bill received Royal Assent in October 1985.

Thanks to the 1986-1990 history of the Superprix, Birmingham remains the only British city to have hosted legalised street racing.

1987 Superprix - McIntyre pits next to Bristol Street Motors
1987 Superprix - McIntyre pits next to Bristol Street Motors

It featured cars from 6R4 Metros to those taking part in the main event for the FIA Formula 3000 Championship.

Race catalyst Martin Hone said last year: “Even years before it became a reality as a race, in the build up with the Motorsport Parades I ran, we had James Hunt, Sir Stirling Moss, John Surtees, Juan Manuel Fangio, Sir Jack Brabham, Derek Bell, Carroll Shelby and even a young Nigel Mansell all here, driving through and supporting Birmingham.”

Argentina's legendary five-times world Formula One champion Juan Manuel Fangio in Birmingham supporting the 1984 Davenports' Chequer Bitter Classic
All-time great: Argentina's legendary five-times world Formula One champion Juan Manuel Fangio in Birmingham supporting the 1984 Davenports' Chequer Bitter Classic

And Erdington racing driver Phil Andrews said: “I recall Jean Alesi winning in France one year, but he still claimed the highlight of his season was ‘winning The Birmingham Superprix’.”

In his election manifesto to become the first West Midlands Mayor, candidate Andy Street hinted that the event might return in a new guise.

He promised to: “Develop plans for a world-class Electric Superprix on the streets of Birmingham to promote the West Midlands automotive industry around the world.”

1987 Superprix - hospitality suite, Bristol Street
1987 Superprix - hospitality suite, Bristol Street

Two years ago, the Mail photographed young Birmingham filmmaker Andy Smallman and his team outside of Monaco House.

They were launching plans to make a documentary about the Superprix, even though they weren’t born at the time.

Andy said: “We feel that such an amazing spectacle like the Birmingham Superprix has been kept in the dark from the rest of the nation, the world and for the next generation for far too long.

Director Andrew Smallman, director of photography Kate Hook, editor Aaron Jones and archivist David Page at Monaco House on Bristol Street where the Superprix pits were
Director Andrew Smallman, director of photography Kate Hook, editor Aaron Jones and archivist David Page at Monaco House on Bristol Street where the Superprix pits were

“When we began to research the event, the scale of it just seemed to be unbelievable to us youngsters!

“Just imagining the roar of the engines resounding through the city centre was enough for us to want to start work.”

Director Andrew Smallman, director of photography Kate Hook, editor Aaron Jones and archivist David Page at Monaco House on Bristol Street where the Superprix pits were.
Director Andrew Smallman, director of photography Kate Hook, editor Aaron Jones and archivist David Page at Monaco House on Bristol Street where the Superprix pits were.

Andy added: “Imagining monstrous machines storming down Bristol Street and high speed collisions happening just behind the Bull Ring excited us immensely.

“Fighting for position through places like Highgate helped to create future Formula One world champions like Damon Hill – in 1996 he left the great Michael Schumacher 38 points behind in third place! – while Finnish driver Mika Hakkinen had back to back championship wins in 1998 and 1999.”