First details of new-look Gracechurch Centre plan with hundreds of homes, hotel and huge rebuild

Details of what a revamped Sutton Coldfield shopping centre will look like have been released by its new owners ahead of the first public consultation. Birmingham Property Group (BPG) and SAV Group have released their vision for the Gracechurch Shopping Centre in the centre of the town.

It will see big changes, but they will take a number of years to complete. They will be showcased at two informal public consultation events, the first this weekend.

The key change will see around two-thirds of the shopping site flattened in time and replaced with new buildings - high-rise blocks to accommodate new homes above units at ground level. These buildings will accommodate ‘up to 700 apartments’ above double-height shops, cafés and restaurants.

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The block, which previously housed the former BHS store is set to be demolished first and replaced by several blocks with apartments, and ‘penthouses with views of Sutton Park’.

In time, the other end of the shopping centre from where jeweller Beaverbrooks is based, down to the old Molloys/Argos section, will also be cleared and replaced vby new apartment blocks, again above units for retail use. The redevelopment will see the creation of two new town squares aimed at being the new ‘heart’ of the town.

One will be to the south, called Gracechurch Square – at the entrance that is currently flanked by the iCrack mobile phone shop and soon to be Military Chef. That end will also see a new 10-metre opening through the centre to Brassington Avenue and the anticipated new Aldi store, which is soon expected to be given the go-ahead by city planners.

The second square at the north end, called Interchange Piazza, by the United Reformed Church, will open up that end of the shopping centre to people venturing from Sutton’s railway station and Sutton Park. The new squares are intended to host ‘community events including food and craft markets along with outdoor performances’.

The middle section of the shopping centre, from H Samuels down to Caffè Nero on one side and Costa down to the old Office show shop the other, will remain but will be refurbished, The multi-storey car park will also stay but could be reconfigured with the top of the car park put to leisure use. Details of where the 700-plus residents will park has yet to be confirmed.

The aim is to also create a new night-time economy in the Gracechurch Centre – with new food and drinks outlets sprinkled around the site, particularly around the two new squares. As well as 700 apartments, the centre will also have a new 120-room hotel at its southern end if plans come to fruition.

That will be ‘serviced via the existing basement and parking via the multi-storey car park’. There will also be ‘community-led spaces for wellness and healthcare including multi-functional community space for yoga, teaching and healthcare’.

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There will also be a ‘comprehensive refurbishment and reconfiguration strategy to the existing shopping mall’. New lighting, signs and planters ‘bringing the park into the centre and seating have all been mentioned.

As the shopping centre has a mixture of tenants on a variety of leases and is still operating, the revamp ‘will be delivered in a series of phases over a number of years to minimise the disruption to the town with the north of the scheme earmarked to be redeveloped first’. That will be followed by the ‘central retail core’ and finally the southern section.

Before any of the redevelopment works get underway the new owners are looking to make ‘day-to-day improvements’. This will include new communal outdoor seating and public realm upgrades to ‘instil a sense of pride’.

There will be more events, like those backed by Visit Sutton Coldfield BID (Business Improvement District) to attract visitors to the town. And there will be changes at Plantsbrook House – the office block at the Nando’s end of the centre ‘to create a community-focused health and wellbeing hub for yoga, dance classes, martial arts and more’.

The first time the public can view the plans will be through a series of storyboards at the former Office site in Bishops Court opposite WH Smith’s, tomorrow, Sunday, April 28, from 10am to 3pm. A second event will take place at the same location the following Sunday, May 5, during the early May Bank Holiday weekend.

Residents will be invited to have their say by completing an online survey on iPads on the consultation days, supported by a ‘dedicated team of staff’. Soon a ‘dedicated website will be launched providing an online platform for residents to find out information about the development and provide feedback’, before the planning process with Birmingham City Council starts proper.

Further public consultation events will be organised in the summer giving more opportunity for locals to raise queries and thoughts. A planning application is expected to be submitted to city council planning department later in the year.