Plans for a £360m mixed-use Birmingham development including the city’s tallest building will go before planners soon.

Woodbourne Group’s plans for its Net Zero carbon Curzon Wharf project include the demolition of existing trade storage, distribution and training centre buildings to make way for 620 living units and approx. 730 student spaces.

In addition, there will be 130,000 sq ft of office, R&D and life science space, plus 3,000 sq ft of retail units and 15,000 sq ft of leisure space.

“This exciting project will put Birmingham right at the forefront of green, sustainable development and underlines our determination to tackle the climate crisis, while also creating jobs and opportunities for people across the city. Birmingham has the ambition and vision to become a more resilient, sustainable, and inclusive city and Curzon Wharf shows our determination to turn vision into reality.” – Leader of Birmingham City Council, Cllr Ian Ward

The Curzon Wharf site is positioned on the northern entry to Birmingham on the A38 Aston Expressway just south of Dartmouth Circus – a site passed by as many as 21 million road users a year when entering the city centre from the north. It is also an eight-minute walk to the HS2 Curzon Street Station, which is expected to boost Birmingham’s economy by at least £151m. 

If planning is approved, the Curzon Wharf waterfront ecosystem will be developed in a key quarter of Birmingham city centre. The scheme would also generate over 1,000 jobs, as calculated by planning specialists Turley and CBRE, who have also calculated that the scheme would add £2m a year in council tax and business rates and attract a New Homes Bonus of £4m.

“This is an incredibly exciting plan, with the potential to create more than 1,000 jobs at what will be a critical time for our region’s economy as we recover from the coronavirus pandemic.

“It is brilliant to see how innovative the masterplan is, not only through being net-zero and contributing towards our #WM2041 goal, but also with the life sciences element which will help create a number of high-skilled, well-paid jobs in a key industry of the future, building on the recent investment at the life sciences site in Selly Oak.”  – West Midlands Mayor Andy Street