Award-winning developer IM Properties has appointed Morgan Sindall plc to the comprehensive £30 million redevelopment of Birmingham’s landmark 55 Colmore Row office building.
Leading construction and infrastructure company, Morgan Sindall has been appointed as main contractor on the project and will deliver the complex and extensive programme of works.
Situated on the corner of Colmore Row and Church Street, 55 Colmore Row is one of Birmingham’s most prominently positioned and widely recognised business addresses, with a Grade II listed Victorian terrace façade overlooking St Philip’s Cathedral.
When completed, the redevelopment will deliver 160,000 sq ft of flexible and contemporary Grade A offices in the heart of Birmingham, providing the largest and most prominent level of high quality office accommodation in the city centre.
Three brand new floors will be delivered to the top of the building, offering panoramic views across the cathedral grounds and the city, with all internal layouts fully reconfigured to create open plan office space of the highest quality on floor plates ranging from 18,000 sq ft – 24,000 sq ft.
55 Colmore Row will offer high quality specification and the very best finishes throughout, with the Grade II listed 19th Century banking hall transformed into a brand new, class-leading reception.
John Hammond, Investment Director, IM Properties, said: “This is a project that will breathe new life into one of the most prominent and widely-recognised commercial buildings in Birmingham. 55 Colmore Row is a cornerstone in Birmingham’s commercial history and this project requires construction and project management teams of significant confidence and capability. We feel absolutely certain that Morgan Sindall will deliver the high quality rejuvenation of this landmark building.
“55 Colmore Row will offer an inviting and desirable business address suitable for occupiers from a broad range of sectors and will act as a prize for inward investors seeking space within the city.”
Alongside the addition of new floors and the redevelopment of the internal spaces, the whole rear elevation on Barwick Street will be removed and replaced with a stunning full height glazed façade, with space for two restaurants at street level.
Dave Smith, managing director of construction at Morgan Sindall, said: “Anyone who has worked in or around Birmingham will be aware of 55 Colmore Row. They may be less familiar, however, with the volume of work that will need to be undertaken to give the building a new lease of life. The complexity of adding new floors to the top of the building, combined with the timescale in which we are working means that there is significant planning required to ensure we deliver.
“It is a fantastic and high-profile project to be involved with and I am confident that we will deliver to exactly the standard that IM Properties is seeking for 55 Colmore Row.”
IM Properties has appointed a full professional team to deliver the vision for 55 Colmore Row, including AHR Architects, DBK as quantity surveyor and CDM co-ordinator, Projex Building Solutions as project manager and employers agent, structural engineer Copeland Wedge Associates, and Watkins Payne Partnership as M&E Engineer.
Duncan Berry, managing director, DBK, said: “Complex development projects are incredibly exciting and require meticulous planning and execution. The location and character of 55 Colmore Row put this project squarely into this category.
“Its position at the heart of the city’s busy financial core, its proximity to neighbouring buildings and of course, its listed status will all be carefully considered and managed as part of the redevelopment. On completion, however, it will be restored to its position as one of the city’s most desirable business addresses.”
The works programme is due to be completed in autumn 2016.
The civic and commercial heart of Birmingham, the area around 55 Colmore Row is home to the city’s main concentration of professional services companies, including Barclays, KPMG, Eversheds, Grant Thornton, Vodafone and PwC and a range of high quality bars and restaurants, including the Michelin-starred Purnell’s, Hotel du Vin, Opus, Fumo and San Carlo.
Joint letting agents for 55 Colmore Row are CBRE and Savills.
