St Modwen chief executive Bill Oliver wants Network Rail to do its bit for regeneration by transforming the "eyesore" Longbridge railway station.
Mr Oliver said he intended his £750 million redevelopment plan to be as sustainable as possible with excellent public transport links, but the station was run-down and unlikely to be attractive to people living and working at the new-look Longbridge.
He pointed out that 15,000 students will attend Bournville College when it relocates to the area in 2011. In addition, 10,000 jobs are likely to be created over the next 15 years, while new housing could increase the local population by about 6,000 people.
St Modwen is also hopeful the 460-acre site, a few minutes' drive from the M5, could appeal to Whitehall as suitable for the relocation of a Government office, while the new town shopping centre is expected to attract a medium-size supermarket.
Mr Oliver added: "We believe people will want to work here rather than travel into Birmingham. The problem is that the train station is an eyesore. It's the same as it was 20 or 30 years ago and could certainly do with a lick of paint.
"It should be a gateway to Longbridge and we would like to do something about it but it's out of our hands. This is where the joined up thinking doesn't really work."
Birmingham City Council, Bromsgrove District Council and Northfield MP Richard Burden envisage a public transport interchange at Longbridge, connecting rail and bus services, and have also appealed to Network Rail to improve the station.
Describing Longbridge as one of St Modwen's top three redevelopment sites anywhere in the country, Mr Oliver said: "A lot of people talk about regeneration but you would go a long way to find something on this scale."
He said the size of the site and the mixed nature of development meant that housing and industrial schemes could be phased according to market conditions. The possibility of the economy slipping into recession would make no difference given the 15-year timetable for completion.
Mr Oliver admitted it was "time to get on with building" after extensive five-year consultation about the future of Long-bridge. He added: "Birmingham needs to really promote Longbridge as one of its top projects because a lot of people don't believe it is going to happen."
