Ventureast
Encyclopedia
Eastside, Birmingham
Eastside is a district of Birmingham City Centre, England currently undergoing a major redevelopment project. The overall cost when completed is expected to be £6–8 billion over a period of ten years which will result in the creation of 12,000 jobs. 8,000 jobs are expected to be created during the...
area of Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It is located next to the City Park development and opposite Curzon Gate
Curzon Gate
Curzon Gate is a residential development located on the edge of Birmingham City Centre, England, on a prominent gateway site into the city centre. The land was formerly occupied by Castle Cement silos. The site is located in the Eastside area, which is currently witnessing a large-scale...
. It is alongside the already completed Millennium Point and will cover the area to the rear of the building (now used as a car park) on top of the area alongside the road. It covers an area of 15.24 acres (6.17 km²). A replacement car park will be a multistorey building fronting Jennens Road.
The current site was occupied by warehouse units, the Digbeth Branch Canal
Digbeth Branch Canal
The Digbeth Branch Canal in Birmingham, England is a short canal which links the Birmingham and Fazeley Canal at Aston Junction and the Grand Union Canal at Digbeth Junction in Digbeth....
, a listed pub and pumping station. On AB Row was a locally listed Victorian
Victorian architecture
The term Victorian architecture refers collectively to several architectural styles employed predominantly during the middle and late 19th century. The period that it indicates may slightly overlap the actual reign, 20 June 1837 – 22 January 1901, of Queen Victoria. This represents the British and...
former Co-op furniture factory which was severely damaged on January 11, 2007 in a suspected arson attack. The roof collapsed and 75% of the building was damaged by the fire which also destroyed seven arched windows. On January 18, 2007, the façade of the building, which had survived the fire albeit smoke damaged, collapsed in on itself in high winds due to the lack of support it received after the fire was put out.
The area has been hailed as the most important development scheme in Eastside by Birmingham City Council
Birmingham City Council
The Birmingham City Council is the body responsible for the governance of the City of Birmingham in England, which has been a metropolitan district since 1974. It is the most populated local authority in the United Kingdom with, following a reorganisation of boundaries in June 2004, 120 Birmingham...
due to the variety of uses it will provide. It has also been billed as being one of the largest regeneration schemes within walking distance of a city centre in the United Kingdom. The canal, which is protected by the Warwick Bar Conservation Area
Warwick Bar
The Warwick Bar conservation area is a conservation area in Birmingham, England which was home to many canalside factories during the Industrial Revolution of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries....
will remain in the development. A Development Framework produced for the area stated that the canal would form the hub of the residential and hotel area. It also stated that the buildings will range from two to eight storeys. It proposed that a square, named Exchange Square, will be located at the back of Millennium Point and sketch designs were provided with it.
Demolition of buildings on the site began in mid-January 2007. Demolition has continued on into early 2008.
The scheme was relaunched at the 2008 MIPIM
MIPIM
MIPIM is a trade show that its organisers describe as a "market for international property trade". It takes place annually in Cannes, France in March. In 2004, MIPIM attracted 15,157 participants from 67 countries...
property show in Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in March 2008 as Eastside Locks to reflect the canalside character of the site. Goodman, the developers, propose that the scheme will consist of 675000 sq ft (62,709.6 m²) of Grade A office space. The rest of Eastside Locks is likely to consist of 325000 sq ft (30,193.5 m²) of apartments, shops, leisure space and a hotel. It is estimated that a total of 5,000 jobs will be created as a result of the development.
A proposal for a 175 metre (498 ft) tall observation tower
Observation tower
An observation tower is a structure used to view events from a long distance and to create a full 360 degree range of vision. They are usually at least tall and made from stone, iron, and wood. Many modern towers are also used as TV towers, restaurants, or churches...
named the "Pinnacle Tower" were presented to the public in early 2006. This will be located on Curzon Road on what was part of the Ventureast site. The tower was redesigned with more detailed designs were presented to the public in September 2006, before being redesigned again and being relaunched as VTP200.