Update on future of Birmingham city center site left untouched for years as developer says ‘difficult’

The firm behind plans for a 22-storey hotel in Birmingham city center say they remain “committed” to the project despite the site being left untouched for five years. Boutique hotel operator Bloc began demolition work on Hill Street in 2019, and the completed Bloc Grand Central hotel is expected to be completed in 2020, according to the company’s website.

Four years later, the site – just a stone’s throw from the Spanish Steps entrance to New Street Station and the Grand Central shopping precinct – remains empty. In 2021, Bloc said construction of the 227-bedroom Grand Central development was “underway” on site, with plans for more properties “in the pipeline”.

The first Bloc hotel opened in the Jewelery Quarter in 2011, with 105 bedrooms, and a second site was launched at Gatwick Airport in 2014. In 2019, Bloc said: “BLOC Grand Central’s high-tech design and fit-out will help in achieving the City Council’s vision of making the neighborhood around New Street Station a vibrant and attractive destination for visitors.”

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Bloc was first granted planning permission to build the hotel in 2016. When contacted for an update on the future of the site, a Bloc spokesperson said: “We remain committed to the development of Bloc Grand Central despite the difficult conditions of the market. and let us continue to work towards the realization of the scheme”.

When completed, BLOC Grand Central will tower over Station Street, where activists fight to preserve some of our city’s most treasured cultural assets. Developers Glenbrook, occupiers of much of Station Street, have revealed aspirations – with the support of key partners such as Birmingham City Council – to see Station Street radically transformed into a vibrant neighborhood and traffic-free public realm.