personal wealth they probably do but i havent seen much inclination from them to invest in the City like it sounds Wagner has.
i suspect we will make more movement with infrastructure and investment in Wagners first 5 years here than they have so far down the road.
They won’t outbid Blues for a bit of land which is far away from the M6 through very crowded neighbourhoods and ring roads.
Couldn't have put it better myself [/quote]
The wheels site is right next door to the freight terminal, so it's a ideal location for logistics/wharehousing.
Great info Rags, thanks for sharing. Exciting times ahead!
Have you heard anything regarding how the stadium complex would be developed to host NBA and/or NFL matches?
Reason I ask is I posted on here recently (5th Jan) some bits I'd heard from a friend who has a relative working for an architect in Birmingham. His firm are working with Blues/Knighthead on a number of proposals at various sites ranging from:
- Full redevelopment of St Andrews
- Stadium at Birmingham Wheels
- Stadium at Birmingham Smithfield (bizarre I know, I thought work to redevelop that land for leisure/living was due to start imminently)
- Stadium at another unknown site (but this has been canned).
Reason I ask about NBA and NFL is that the project brief is to create a venue that could also accommodate NBA and NFL. It all sounds pie in sky to me but I guess with Tom Brady on board and Garry Cook's links to Michael Jordan it may not be completely out the realm of possibility for little old Blues...
Again, exciting times ahead for sure.
>>>> Man Lyk GroundRepair
Hi .... no, i haven't.
Your post shows though that there may be several architects being asked to look at, come up with, initial ideas. I say this because one i know (who is basing his ideas on the three tier 15,000 25,000, 20,000 split i mentioned in my first post) who has been asked to look at similar initial ideas, definitely hasn't been asked to look at anywhere except the Wheels site
The only thing i know for sure is "no options are off the table"
..... including the idea of Blues having a training complex at the site, with accompanying hotel, and running holidays for families that offer "train with our professional coaches to improve your football skills".
(Rumours that Oli Burke has already signed up are entirely made up by myself for reasons of the purpose of sarcasm )
Its weird that the Smithfield site is constantly mentioned. Not just on here, it gets mentioned on social media quite a lot lately.
I thought it had been purchased and plans to build a green space, some more boring apartments and more shops etc had already been approved.
Is everything still up for grabs?
You give us some brilliant inside info Rags but please tell us the name of John Eustace dad’s cat.
Its weird that the Smithfield site is constantly mentioned. Not just on here, it gets mentioned on social media quite a lot lately.
I thought it had been purchased and plans to build a green space, some more boring apartments and more shops etc had already been approved.
Is everything still up for grabs?
You give us some brilliant inside info Rags but please tell us the name of John Eustace dad’s cat.
It confuses me too my darling.... and no-one i know has said that Blues have even ever mentioned Smithfield
[www.smithfieldbirmingham.co.uk]
[eplanning.birmingham.gov.uk]
[www.birmingham.gov.uk]
this is an update from Oct '23 >>>
[www.lendlease.com]
on here ... if you scroll down you can see the updated layout >>>
[www.birminghammail.co.uk]
Where the feck would you fit a stadium ? ... a lot of things would have to be cancelled because the place looks rammed to me.
Will PM you the name
ThongsIts weird that the Smithfield site is constantly mentioned. Not just on here, it gets mentioned on social media quite a lot lately.
I thought it had been purchased and plans to build a green space, some more boring apartments and more shops etc had already been approved.
Is everything still up for grabs?
You give us some brilliant inside info Rags but please tell us the name of John Eustace dad’s cat.
I believe a deal was done with Lend Lease for a mixed use development, apartments, offices and retail. If my memory was correct this would have been pre-COVID or just after and since then the market for office space and retail has gone into decline and the development of apartments in the city centre must be approached saturation point. I would imagine lend lease are looking at the original proposals to see if they are deliverable and coming up with different proposals that make more sense now. Lend Lease know the importance of this site to the City and probably seeking to reduce value
ThongsIts weird that the Smithfield site is constantly mentioned. Not just on here, it gets mentioned on social media quite a lot lately.
I thought it had been purchased and plans to build a green space, some more boring apartments and more shops etc had already been approved.
Is everything still up for grabs?
You give us some brilliant inside info Rags but please tell us the name of John Eustace dad’s cat.
I believe a deal was done with Lend Lease for a mixed use development, apartments, offices and retail. If my memory was correct this would have been pre-COVID or just after and since then the market for office space and retail has gone into decline and the development of apartments in the city centre must be approached saturation point. I would imagine lend lease are looking at the original proposals to see if they are deliverable and coming up with different proposals that make more sense now. Lend Lease know the importance of this site to the City and probably seeking to reduce value
See my above links Andy ... yes, they changed the designs (largely for reasons you identified) in October last year
I'm also intrigued by the Smithfield site but of course it may not be an option (if the approved development commences).
However, large slab of land, existing transport infrastructure / access which would save millions on connectivity costs. Flagship location that would appeal to concert / other sports fans.
Cost per acre would be way more than the Wheels but the infrastructure saving may offset some of this.
Flagship City of Birmingham stadium IMO.
Doesn’t exactly look like it’s moving quickly, expect it would significantly more expensive given you can build residential buildings on it as opposed to wheels.
42 acres in total if it all gets canned?
[www.theguardian.com]
Something like the Sphere would be ideal near a stadium on the Wheels site.
Plentt of room, not near housing.
[www.theguardian.com]
Something like the Sphere would be ideal near a stadium on the Wheels site.
Plentt of room, not near housing.
Thing is with the Sphere, outside, as I understand it, is that it's lovely when showing a planet, or an eye, but almost all the time it is showing garish adverts .. which advertisers want people to see .. which means they would want it to be near areas of population.
There'll be plenty of tourists coming to see Blues.
As i understand it to make the Wheels project viable it's going to need to become an arts and cultural centre as much as anything.
Alongside the stadium there would need to be things like a concert venue as well as bars and restaurants and hotels.
It doesn't have to be theSphere as such, but it will need a lot of other things as well as a ootball ground.
I'm imagining heaving ceowds walking from Adderley Park or Duddeston station into something like the forum in Rome crossed with Vegas.
A really helpful summary.
One thing missing, I think, is the Growth Zone ( [www.wmca.org.uk] ).
I can't see a map online currently but I think both St Andrews and the Wheels site sit in the East Birmingham and North Solihull Growth Zone. It gives both BCC and WMCA a big incentive to get the Wheels site redeveloped quickly and by whatever redevelopment attracts the biggest value(s) on the rating list.
If you go on Google maps/Street View from Landor St., turn into Adderley Street Sth. Go under the railway bridge (the gate will dissappear as you approach), carry on to the far end of Adderley St Sth and at a sharp right turn you will see . . . A Blues flag on a makeshift flag pole!