Author Topic: Redevelopment at the back & side of The Holliday Inn  (Read 7303 times)

Escutcheon

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Redevelopment at the back & side of The Holliday Inn
« on: July 18, 2016, 08:52:08 PM »
Have they redeveloped the site beside & behind The Holliday Inn in Holliday Street yet?
The last time that we were there it looked like a bomb site.

JudithM

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Re: Redevelopment at the back & side of The Holliday Inn
« Reply #1 on: July 19, 2016, 01:41:08 PM »
I work on Bridge Street, so right across the road from this.

It's more building site than bomb site now.  There's a new hotel going up directly behind the old Holiday Inn.  It's several storeys high now, but nowhere near finished.

They have demolished the old ATV studios and the old register office and have started the groundworks for the new Alpha Central development.  It's not in full swing yet, but there as some cranes and signs of it all getting ready to go.  They are saying it should be finished by the end of next year or early 2018, but as the metro extension came in almost 9 months late I'm not holding my breath  ;D

This is what is should look like when it's finished.

http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/commercial-property/new-building-arena-central-drastic-11054861
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frederick

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Re: Redevelopment at the back & side of The Holliday Inn
« Reply #2 on: July 19, 2016, 05:25:23 PM »
It looks very nice even the road is colourful        O0
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Phil

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Re: Redevelopment at the back & side of The Holliday Inn
« Reply #3 on: July 19, 2016, 06:03:40 PM »


This is what is should look like when it's finished.

http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/business/commercial-property/new-building-arena-central-drastic-11054861

Judith

The trouble with GGI images is they never look like what you end up with, in this case according to the image they are doing away with all the new gardens and fencing outside the central library. Mind you if it's a true representation,  then there is one thing I have to applaud and that is that there is no sign of that horrible Gillian Wearing sculpture.
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JudithM

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Re: Redevelopment at the back & side of The Holliday Inn
« Reply #4 on: July 20, 2016, 01:41:17 PM »
I quite like that statue  ::)  ;D 

But I agree, the finished project rarely looks like the images in the proposals.  I've seen that with the Longbridge development.  I think the phrase is 'artistic license'  :P   

It will be very interesting to see if it all goes up to schedule.  We're less than 2 years off the proposed finish date and all I can see are some cranes, a couple of bull dozers and a large pile of dirt!  They've made a nice little staff car park where the old Register Office used to be though  O0
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Escutcheon

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Re: Redevelopment at the back & side of The Holliday Inn
« Reply #5 on: July 20, 2016, 02:12:22 PM »
Either way I do hope that it will be far better than that awful fairycake that they built nearby after knocking down our austere but functional Central Library in which I spent much time doing research

Joewoen

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Re: Redevelopment at the back & side of The Holliday Inn
« Reply #6 on: July 20, 2016, 04:37:22 PM »
They originally said there would be a little garden running through the complex, I may be wrong, but I have a feeling that has either been reduced or gone.

To be fair to the developers, the basement stage of talls always takes time. It seems as if nothing is happening, then suddenly, they reach surface level and it all takes off.

I do think the Birmingham Municipal Bank is a little overcrowded, I would have liked them to give it a bit more room, as it is a lovely building, both at the front and down the side.

As for Centenary Square, well, words fail me. How can BCC approve a plan that includes a large water feature when they know they can not keep water features going and their strength is flora and fauna. Seems odd to me. Out of all the proposals, this was not the best. Perhaps it came in as the cheapest?

Escutcheon

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Re: Redevelopment at the back & side of The Holliday Inn
« Reply #7 on: July 20, 2016, 05:25:19 PM »
At least the drunken Iron Man did not need much maintenance but has the Floozie in the Jacuzzi dried up?

JudithM

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Re: Redevelopment at the back & side of The Holliday Inn
« Reply #8 on: July 21, 2016, 01:30:39 PM »
The Floozie is now sitting in a large flower bed rather than a water feature  ::)  I think there were several leaks & it was decided that as the costs of repair were rather high that they would re-purpose as flower beds until there was enough funding in place to repair it properly.  I can see that not happening & it remaining a floral feature.  It looks nice enough though.

I don't think it's just water features we have problems with - didn't the eternal flame go out as well?

As for the Municipal Bank building, it would be great if it had a bit of space around it so you could admire the building, though, to be honest, the sides and rear of the building are rather plain compared to the frontage.  Hopefully the area won't be too dominated by the new buildings and the look of it will be enhanced rather than detracted by them.
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Joewoen

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Re: Redevelopment at the back & side of The Holliday Inn
« Reply #9 on: July 23, 2016, 03:36:43 PM »
If there is one thing BCC does well, it's publicl gardens. The Victoria Square does look good planted, but the statue (the Floozie) now looks rather redundant. I find it embarrasing and can't imagine what tourists make of it.

It has been ages since I properly looked at Birmingham Municipal bank, but I am pretty sure the west side is quite respectable, but the east and rear would benefit from buildings being close.

Didn't the eternal flame go out because BCC didn't want to spend on the gas? I wonder if they ever asked Cliff Richard if he would sponsor it? Actually, there's a point, why didn't they get anyone to sponsor it? It would have made another nice  little tourist attraction, but what with the flame, the fountain and the ridiculously long time time the city was disrupted by building the tram tracks, I don't think BCC is bothered about attracting tourists

JudithM

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Re: Redevelopment at the back & side of The Holliday Inn
« Reply #10 on: July 26, 2016, 12:53:40 PM »
The one side of the Municipal Bank building is quite ornate (dressed stone rather than brick), so I think it's just the rear and back that were intended never to be seen, I hadn't really noticed that it was just the one side that was brick until the other day.

I can't remember much about the flame, other than Cliff Richard lighting it, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were something to do with the gas bill  ::)
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