Birmingham’s Mailbox is to get a major facelift to accompany the regeneration of the city centre. The announcement was made by Brocton Capital and Milligan Retail, the partnership which owns the £127 million building.
The Mailbox opened in 1998 and is the largest mixed use development in the UK. It incorporates office space and leisure facilities alongside residential accommodation and is one of Birmingham’s premier retail destinations. Tenants include the BBC, Malmaison and Harvey Nichols.
The redevelopment plans include a new roof, larger public areas and improvements to surrounding infrastructure. Central to the proposal is the relocation of Harvey Nichols to a 45,000 sq ft store which Brocton Capital partner Simon Samuals describes as the ‘ultimate endorsement.’
“We love Birmingham. It is the UK’s second city and we love what Birmingham City Council are doing to promote the city, including some very big infrastructure projects which are attracting additional investment into the city,” he said.
Milligan Retail chief executive, John Milligan, believes that the Mailbox can capitalise on the regeneration of the city centre which has seen its retail offer greatly improved.
“Birmingham is the only city outside London to have a Harvey Nichols, Selfridges and John Lewis.
“While they are all different, there is a shared customer and they are all quite close to each other.
“You would have to jump in a cab between them in London, whereas you can walk it here,” he said.
Work on the facelift is due to start this summer and is scheduled to be completed by spring 2015. Some stores will be forced to close during the construction period but Harvey Nichols and Armani will not be affected. All restaurants and bars will also trade normally and the car park will remain open.
Previous Post
A REITS Creating a Different Kind of Property Bubble
