Carillion has been awarded £30m contract to deliver phase one works for the £450m Paradise Circus development in Birmingham.
The 17-acre regeneration scheme in the centre of Birmingham will see the demolition of the old Central Library and construction of 10 new buildings in a prime site in the heart of Birmingham between the city’s Centenary Square and Chamberlain Square.
Paradise Circus is the first scheme to get ahead within Birmingham’s new Enterprise Zone, which will get £60m for infrastructure in the area.
The project will be delivered in three phases with the first comprising two buildings, public realm and highway work around the Paradise Circus Queensway island. The first phase is set to be completed in 2017/18.
Carillion’s chief executive Richard Howson said: “Paradise Circus is a crucial project for the city and Carillion is very proud to have been selected to be part of it.
“We are looking forward immensely to starting construction work on the site, supporting infrastructure and working alongside such an experienced and successful team.”
The announcement might lead to Carillion winning further work on 1.8 million ft2 project, which includes offices, shops, a four-star hotel, a concert hall and further leisure and culture facilities.
The project is being led by Paradise Circus General Partner, a joint venture between Birmingham council and Hermes Real Estate.
Argent is managing the design and delivery of the site works on behalf of the developer.
Rob Groves, senior project director for Argent, commented on the announcement: “The project is now moving forward very rapidly with activity planned to start on site later this year on the first phase of the major redevelopment of this key part of the city centre.”
“The appointment of Carillion as contractor, following that of Grant Associates as Landscape Architects, Glenn Howells as architects of the first building and the imminent results of an architects’ competition for the design of the second, is a further indicator of the positive evolution of this game-changing development for Birmingham.”
