A former HP Sauce warehouse in Birmingham has been revamped to create a new £18 million broadcast and creative hub. The facility in Fazeley Street, Digbeth, is housed in a canalside complex spanning five buildings and is now open for business.
Oval Real Estate acquired The Bond Company offices and event space in 2018 and has since been working with Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership and industry body Create Central to reimagine the space, now called 'The Bond'.
Spread across five buildings and totalling 55,500 sq ft of space, Oval hopes to create a focal point for television, film and digital content production by opening the new screening rooms, pod rooms and studios.
Since the purchase in 2018, the site has been partially closed down but has remained available for hire for events and weddings and it will also continue to have event space for hire following this relaunch.
Following a programme of renovation work, it is now sporting a new facility called 'Creative Content Hub' which the owners hope will attract the creative, digital and broadcast industries.
A deal has already been struck with independent producer All3Media, whose companies make shows such as Fifth Gear, The Gadget Show and Great British Menu, to take space from May.
It is the first in what is set to be an influx from the broadcast and creative sectors into Digbeth as the BBC prepares to relocate from the Mailbox to the former Typhoo factory in Bordesley Street while Masterchef will be made in the new Digbeth Loc complex.
James Craig, founder of Oval Real Estate which also owns the Custard Factory and Fazeley Studios buildings in Digbeth, said: "We are thrilled to officially relaunch The Bond in Digbeth.
"As custodians of the Digbeth Estate, we are beyond proud to reveal the Midlands' newest production hub - an epicentre for film, media and tech within the growing community. We aim to leave buildings and neighbourhoods better than we found them.
"As such, our ambition is to continue to work with the West Midlands Combined Authority and Birmingham City Council to deliver meaningful change in Digbeth by continuing the careful transformation of the area."
Sitting at the junction of the River Rea and the Grand Union Canal, the industrial complex was once home to an ice factory, HP Sauce factory and a bonded warehouse.
Create Central's chairman Ed Shedd added: "When Create Central was launched in 2019, the members pitched the idea of a content hub. It's so exciting to see the real, tangible results from all the industry's hard work paying off.
"The Bond is a great example of a collaborative approach between the public and private sectors to unlock the region's potential.
"Working in partnership to support new ways of working that will open up opportunities for young creatives, and help to re-invent and future-proof traditional television, film and wider digital content production in the West Midlands."
GBSLEP chairwoman Anita Bhalla added: "There is huge potential to explore virtual reality and artificial reality in TV and games and to drive forward innovative content production in our region. This facility is a crucial part of the wider plan for the Digbeth Creative Quarter."
