The REIT first became involved in the 7.5-acre city centre site in 1999 as part of the Birmingham Alliance consortium’s focus on transforming parcels of land through retail-led regeneration. Twenty years on, Hammerson has shifted its focus to delivering a mixed-use estate incorporating 1,300 homes, 1.4m sq ft of office, hotel, retail and food and beverage space.

Its proposals, which also include a new public square and boulevard, cover a site currently occupied by the Square Shopping Centre, Dale End car park and King’s Parade.

Hammerson, which owns and operates the Bullring and Grand Central, has owned the plot since 2015 and has chosen Martineau Galleries to form its first major City Quarters scheme. The initiative, announced in 2018, will see the developer transform pure retail assets across UK cities into more sustainable mixed-use neighbourhoods. Martineau Galleries offers the chance to test that concept at a high-profile site linking the proposed Curzon Street HS2 terminal to the rest of the city centre.