Birmingham launches ‘Central Heart’ investment opportunity at MIPIM
Birmingham has unveiled the ‘Central Heart’ prospectus – a major city-centre regeneration opportunity offering international investors and development partners the chance to help deliver up to 5,000 new homes, 8,000 jobs and more than 400,000 sq m of commercial space in the heart of the UK’s second city.
Launched at the global real estate conference MIPIM in Cannes, the vision brings together eight strategic development sites across four hectares of under-used retail and office space to create a new mixed-use neighbourhood connecting Birmingham’s commercial core with HS2 Curzon Street Station.
The programme is expected to deliver new city-centre homes, workspace, public realm and transport connections that strengthen Birmingham’s position as one of the UK’s fastest-growing investment destinations.
A new mixed-use district at the centre of Birmingham
Birmingham Central Heart will transform a key area of the city centre located between the Bullring, New Street Station, the Colmore Business District and the future HS2 Curzon Street Station.
The redevelopment opportunity includes capacity for:
- Up to 5,000 new homes
- More than 400,000 sq m of commercial floorspace
- Over 7 hectares of new and improved public realm
- Around 8,000 new jobs
The prospectus brings together several major development sites including Martineau Galleries, Martineau Place, Cherry Street, Cannon Street, Carrs Lane, Union Street, 42 High Street and City Arcade. Together these sites represent one of the largest coordinated city-centre regeneration opportunities in the UK.
Connecting Birmingham’s commercial core with HS2
Central Heart is positioned to become a key gateway between Birmingham’s established business districts and the major growth corridor emerging around HS2 Curzon Street.
The area will be redesigned around new green routes, improved walking and cycling infrastructure and enhanced connections to employment, education and cultural destinations.
Once operational, HS2 will place Birmingham within 49 minutes of London, further strengthening the city’s connectivity and reinforcing its role as a national hub for investment and talent.
A regeneration vision backed by partnership
The prospectus has been developed through collaboration between Birmingham City Council, major landowners, developers and city-centre Business Improvement Districts, providing investors with a clear strategic framework for future development.
Central Heart also aligns with wider strategic plans including the Central Birmingham Framework 2045, the city’s emerging Central Heart Growth Zone, and proposals for a Birmingham East Mayoral Development Corporation, which is expected to accelerate regeneration across the area later this decade.
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said the project demonstrates the region’s ambition to deliver growth that benefits businesses and communities alike.
“There’s never been a better time to invest in the West Midlands. With record funding and new devolved powers we are moving faster than ever to transform our region through projects like Central Heart Birmingham.”
A city with a strong track record for investors
Birmingham has already delivered some of the UK’s most successful regeneration schemes, including the Paradise development and the Bullring transformation.
The city continues to attract global occupiers including Goldman Sachs and Lloyds Banking Group, supported by a young and growing population, strong graduate talent pipeline and improving transport connectivity.
Central Heart forms part of a wider wave of regeneration across Birmingham and the West Midlands, alongside major developments such as the Birmingham Knowledge Quarter, Smithfield and the Sports Quarter, creating a pipeline of large-scale opportunities for institutional investors and development partners.