Construction work has officially started on a major new residential development in Birmingham city centre.
Ground has been broken on the £302 million Great Charles Street project in the city's Jewellery Quarter which will eventually see 722 apartments for rent built on a former council car park.
Moda Living, which is behind the 42-storey Mercian scheme in Broad Street, is leading the scheme on the Ludgate Hill Car Park, known by many as ‘the bomb site', which will comprise three blocks ranging from six to 39 storeys.
Other amenities include a gym, concierge service, private dining rooms, co-working areas, sky lounges and roof terraces, a cinema room and more while ground-floor units will be available to rent as commercial space.
Designed by Ryder Architecture, the main contractor on the project is John Sisk & Son which also built The Mercian and it is due for completion in 2025.
Moda Living said delivery of the new project would add an estimated £92 million of GVA to the West Midlands' economy, creating around 470 new jobs including via a skills hub partnership with the combined authority aimed at maximising local employment and training opportunities.
Last month, it was confirmed that a joint venture led by US investor Harrison Street was funding the development.
Moda Living's managing director Tony Brooks said: "Breaking ground on our second development in Birmingham is a huge milestone for us.
"The city is going through an exciting evolution and we're proud to be part of its transforming skyline as well as creating impact for the local jobs and skills market.
"It's something we've been committed to since 2018 and will continue doing so for many years to come.
"The journey to starting work on this key central site has been a huge exercise in collaboration with Birmingham City Council and I'm confident the result will be testament to what can be achieved when the public and private sectors work in true partnership."
West Midlands Mayor Andy Street added: "It is so exciting to see the bomb site finally being developed after being left untouched since the Second World War. This will remove one of the blots on the city's landscape and continue the quite incredible transformation of the city centre.
"It is great too to not only see Moda Living and Sisk partner again after their efforts at The Mercian but also to see they remain committed to working with us to continue our training programme together to ensure local employment is maximised through this development."
