A new 722-home neighbourhood on the edge of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter has reached its highest point, marking an exciting construction milestone in the delivery of a vibrant new urban community in the heart of the city. 

Leading rental living developer operator Moda Group, its construction partner Sisk and a funding JV led by Apache Capital and its investors Harrison Street and NFU Mutual, celebrated the topping out of the Great Charles Street neighbourhood last week. The neighbourhood, located on the former Ludgate Hill Carpark, started on site in April 2023 and is made up of three blocks ranging from six to 39- storeys.

In addition to the one- to three-bedroom homes for rent, the neighbourhood will give residents access to an extensive range of amenities, including a 24/7 gym, co-working spaces, private dining rooms, resident sky lounges, roof terraces, and a cinema room.

These will be complemented by a regular programme of events with a focus on community, health and wellbeing.

Reactivating a gateway site between the Colmore Business District and the Jewellery Quarter, the new neighbourhood will be surrounded by landscaped green spaces and public realm, aligned with Birmingham City Council’s proposals to create a more accessible and pedestrian-friendly city centre.

The character of city’s iconic Jewellery Quarter is also reflected in the design for the ground floor retail spaces which are expected to be home to boutique shops, independent café-bars and restaurants and wellness amenities.

Construction of Great Charles Street has seen the continuation of Moda and Sisk’s Skills and Training hub first launched during construction of Moda, The Mercian, and backed by the West Midlands Combined Authority.

So far, delivery of the project has resulted in:

•         38 apprentices and graduates trained
•         292 people trained on site
•         555 local people employed
•         305 hours spent supporting unemployed people into work
•         50,000 tonnes of waste either reused or recycled
•         £12m+ spent with local businesses

To recognise the work of the Skills and Training hub, the Topping Out was marked with talks from four of the 35 apprentices working on the regeneration project. They then made the final concrete pour on top of the building, cementing builder’s tools into the top of the building to secure the legacy of the Skills and Training hub in the development.

As with all Moda Living neighbourhoods, Great Charles Street will target leading ESG certifications, including three-star Fitwel certification as part of Moda’s status as a global champion for the healthy building accreditor.

The project is backed by an investment JV between Apache Capital, Harrison Street and NFU Mutual and Apache Capital. The finance deal for the neighbourhood was the largest ever seen in a UK regional city for a BTR development.

Tony Brooks, Executive Chairman at Moda Group, commented:

“We are extremely proud of have topped out our third rental neighbourhood in Birmingham, bringing us a step closer to delivering 722 fantastic new homes to the city, along with a range of long-term community benefits.

“The team at Sisk are doing a fantastic job bringing our vision to life at Great Charles Street, and the success of the second iteration of our skills and training hub on site speaks for itself. With two developments already operational and a pipeline of thousands more homes in Birmingham, we remain committed to this fantastic city and the impressive transformation it is undergoing.”

Alan Rodger, Managing Director at Sisk, said:

“We are making excellent progress at Great Charles Street and I would like to congratulate our site team, design consultants and supply chain partners for achieving this topping out milestone. A further 240,000 hours have been complete by local people, from apprentices to graduates which reinforces both Moda and Sisk’s commitment to Birmingham and our industry.”

In addition to delivering the new homes, Moda Living is also working with local stakeholders and partners including West Midlands Combined Authority, Birmingham City Council and the Jewellery Quarter Development Trust, to enhance public spaces in the area. This includes the planned £120,000 transformation of the Livery Street subway, which will improve connectivity between the Jewellery Quarter and the city’s Colmore Business District.

Jamie Snary Executive Director, Asset Management & Operations, at Apache Capital said:

“Build-to-Rent is going from strength to strength in Birmingham, and the wider UK. This is our second scheme in the city, building on the success of The Mercian and is a welcome addition to our portfolio of regional city-centre assets. High quality BTR schemes continue to perform and we are excited to see how the community evolves.”

Sharon Thompson, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council, said:

“Great Charles Street is an exciting development that has broken down barriers that previously constrained the historic centre’s physical, economic and cultural growth.

“This site was once considered to be on the fringes of the city centre, but thanks to Moda’s intervention, insight and ambition, it has been transformed into a better connected, more pedestrian friendly working and living environment. A fantastic addition to our ever-evolving city centre.”

For more information, please visit modaliving.com.