Building momentum

By Rob Groves, Regional Director, Argent

At Paradise we are focused on delivering an exemplar project that will truly be the most significant city centre development in the UK. But more importantly, we want Paradise to be a corner of the city everyone who lives, works or visits here can enjoy.

We’re proud of what has been delivered so far and what has been announced over the past few months. With major office lettings, completing our first buildings and handing them over to occupiers, and new leisure and restaurant brands committing to Birmingham for the first time, there is a real sense of excitement and momentum as we look ahead to what’s coming in 2020.

During the course of last year, we announced the first leisure operator for Two Chamberlain Square, Vinoteca, as well as another new office occupier – the law firm DLA Piper – who has taken the top two floors of this landmark building.

This has all come hot on the heels of the handover of our first building, One Chamberlain Square, to the professional services firm PwC who has taken all of the office space in the building and moved its Birmingham team to Paradise earlier this month.

Meanwhile, we have also announced that leading Indian restaurant group Dishoom has taken a large space on the ground floor of One Chamberlain Square.

But things have only just got going – there’s a lot more to come, which is one of the things that excites us most about Paradise. Every announcement is a major landmark for investment, job creation or company expansion. PwC’s Birmingham team has already grown to 2,000 and is set to reach 2,300 by the end of 2020.

But we are about much more than new office space and the latest restaurants. Paradise is a new piece of Birmingham for people to enjoy, spend time in and experience with their colleagues, friends and families.

We’ve always known it is an important place located at the very heart of the city – a very special part of Birmingham where commerce and culture have existed side by side for hundreds of years.

But what has become increasingly clear is that others see this too. Whether it is international businesses, award-winning eateries or cultural institutions and events, Paradise is soon set to become a very different place to the development and construction site it has been in recent years.

After the milestones of this year we are now looking forward to the new public realm in and around Paradise being finally revealed during 2020 and a number of major subsequent milestones coming up: with the first building of Phase Two of the development, One Centenary Way underway, and details coming forward for the new hotel that is going to replace the Copthorne.

Our place in a city that is firmly attracting international attention makes us proud to be playing our part in growing our economy and providing the jobs, skills and investment needed to keep Birmingham moving in the right direction.

And we can’t wait to share with you all of the developments that will be coming down the line during next twelve months.

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