Pictured: Tallest office block to tower over Birmingham
Plans have been unveiled for the tallest office building in Birmingham, the Beorma Tower, which will stand more than 700 ft high over Digbeth, beside the landmark Selfridges store.
Kuwait-based property group Salhia brought in new architects Broadway Malyan to revise plans first seen last year. The result is the city's first 30-storey office tower, adding three storeys to the original plan.
It will be the third tallest building on Birmingham's skyline, after the BT Tower and the Raddison Blu hotel.
The £150 million development centres on a two-acre site on the corer of Park Street and Allison Street, close to the Bullring shopping centre, and will see three new blocks built, including the tower,with offices and 223 flats and apartments.
A detailed planning application has been submitted to Birmingham City Council following months of consultation meetings, and it details that the offices and shops in the development are expected to create around 1,723 full-time jobs.
Another 800 would be created in the city as a result of the development, while 66 permanent full-time jobs would be created by the construction work.
Paul Garry, chairman of the neighbouring Southside Business Improvement District, said: "The site is semi-derelict at the moment so this will be a vast improvement."
The project will include roof gardens on top of the buildings, as well as a 'brown roof' scheme to encourage wildlife and birds such as the black redstart.
The main building will see 154 apartments on the upper 18 floors, with 11 floors for offices above a ground level with the lobby, shops and a possible restaurant.
