WORK has started to clear land for Solihull Council’s office development in Homer Road.
As reported in the Solihull Observer last month, the council is hoping to build over 10,000sq m of Grade A office space close to Touchwood shopping centre and Solihull railway station.
Six houses and mature trees are being cleared to make way for the speculative eight-storey office block.
Plans are now before the council which, if approved, would form part of the council’s new town centre masterplan which the council says ‘provides a blueprint for future investment and development in the town centre over the next 20 years’.
Solihull Council said: “Westgate is a landmark building to send a message of the council’s intent and commitment.
“The Gateway Building provides the first catalyst for future investment and development, it acts as a beacon for the council’s resolve for sustainability.
“It is a communiqué to potential investors that Solihull is changing, and a substantial increase of the public realm and improvement to place making.
“It also provides much-needed high-quality grade A office space.”
“The vision is to optimise the potential development of a prime site within Solihull’s commercial district by providing a landmark Grade A+ speculative office development. By providing a development containing larger floor plates, which could attract a major organisation into Solihull, and which emphasises the scale and prominence of the development.
“The scheme includes enhancements to the public realm, improvements to pedestrian connectivity and provides an attractive setting for new development.”
The area around Homer Road and Station Road is set for extensive redevelopment, with new flats in Princes Way and Station Road, in addition to more office blocks on Homer Road being proposed.
The project forms part of the council’s UK Central Solihull programme, including key infrastructure projects geared towards economic growth in the borough.
Solihull Council say Westgate will offer a ‘flexible co-working and collaboration space’ and will be energy efficient in line with the council’s commitment to a low carbon future.
A planning decision is expected in January next year, with a start date onsite expected later next year.