Since 2018, Prior + Partners have acted as lead consultant and masterplanner for the 17-hectare scheme, which sits in an area in Birmingham city centre known for its rich trading history, and includes the home of the city’s 200 year old Bull Ring Markets and the former Wholesale Markets site.
Continuing this legacy, the development will centre a new destination market experience to rival the best that Europe offers, establishing Smithfield Birmingham as a prestigious globally-recognised market district, celebrating Birmingham’s roots as the ‘city of a thousand trades’, with the offer reflecting the city’s distinctive and diverse culture.
The vibrant retail markets will sit alongside new cultural and leisure attractions, as well as a minimum of one million square metres of new high-quality office space at an enviable location close to Birmingham New Street and Moor Street stations.
Here, facilities will support start-ups, small businesses and entrepreneurs, giving local organisations the opportunity to expand into flexible workspaces designed for the modern, post-Covid workplace, and attract businesses to the city from the UK and across the globe. Integrated public transport, an enviable location close to Birmingham New Street station, along with easy access to the upcoming HS2 rail link, will make Smithfield one of the most well-connected areas to conduct business in the country.
The plans submitted for approval also include a brand-new events and gathering space, Festival Square, that will play host to cultural events for thousands of people.
It sits within a wider network of public squares, boulevards and lanes, with fountains and active play for children helping to unlock Smithfield as a much loved destination for all.
If approved, 600 sustainable and modern residences will be delivered in a green setting as part of the first phase of work – with around 3000 planned for the whole site over the coming years, including affordable homes, all supported by community facilities. Smithfield Park will provide residents with access to nature on their doorstep and provide visitors with a new green space to unwind and keep fit.
