Henry Boot acquires central Birmingham office building

Henry Boot Developments (HBD) has acquired Cornwall House, a five-storey office building in Birmingham city centre’s Jewellery Quarter.

Part of the Henry Boot Group of Companies, HBD is one of the UK’s most active property developers. Headquartered in Sheffield, the business has offices in Glasgow, Manchester, Bristol and London, launching its Birmingham office in September 2017. The developer has several high-profile projects underway in the Midlands, including New Horizon, the redevelopment of the iconic Imperial Tobacco factory, and the regeneration of the 44-acre Phoenix 10 site in Walsall.

HBD purchased Cornwall House for an undisclosed sum, and will bring forward plans for a wholesale redevelopment of the site.

Sitting within the historic Jewellery Quarter, the building occupies a prominent position in the city centre’s most desirable residential location, close to the city’s main railway stations as well as Birmingham’s primary retail and leisure amenities.

Simon Raiye, Senior Development Surveyor at HBD, said: “Cornwall House is located within one of Birmingham city centre’s most sought after residential locations, and offers huge potential for high-quality, attractive apartments.

“This is a great opportunity to give the site a new lease of life, making the most of its superb location in the Jewellery Quarter and as a gateway to St Pauls Square.”

HBD is bringing forward several large-scale residential developments throughout the UK, including its landmark £250m Kampus scheme in Manchester and the former Terry’s Chocolate Works in York. The acquisition of Cornwall House is the developers’ first residential scheme in Birmingham’s city core.

Alexandra Fitzpatrick, surveyor at Knight Frank, commented: “This prominent site is located along a key route that links the Jewellery Quarter to the Central Business District. Following comprehensive redevelopment, we expect it will be very well-received by the market.”