Enabling Works have Started on Birmingham’s Tallest Residential Tower
Moda, a leading developer, owner and operator of homes for rent, backed by JV partner Apache Capital, has appointed Irish construction giant John Sisk & Son to deliver a new 42-storey skyscraper in Birmingham, which will be city’s tallest residential building.
The 481-apartment scheme has been designed exclusively for rent, offering hotel level service and a whole host of on-site amenities including a 200m podium running track – one of the first in UK housing.
The £184m project will transform the derelict site of the former Click Club at Burberries, which hosted bands such as Blur and Primal Scream, into one of Birmingham’s tallest buildings and underpin the regeneration of the Broad Street area. Work is due to start in April this year, with completion expected in 2022.
The start on-site is a major vote of confidence in both Birmingham as a city and also Britain’s emerging build-to-rent sector despite the ongoing uncertainty caused by Brexit.
Offering a range of apartment sizes - from studios to three-beds - alongside a host of amenity spaces spread across the building, the Broad Street scheme will appeal to Birmingham’s growing army of professionals, while long-term yet flexible tenancies of three to five years will give families peace of mind.
The Broad Street site features a 60,000sqft podium with over 30,000 sq. ft. of dedicated communal space including residents lounge, dedicated health and wellness zones, co-working space, indoor/outdoor dining club featuring a demonstration kitchen as well as a range of ground floor commercial spaces. A 24-hour hotel-style concierge and a round-the-clock maintenance will help raise the bar for renters locally. Access will be through the ‘MyModa’ app – tech that acts as a key and allows residents to manage their tenancies and daily life within the building.
With a focus on health and wellbeing, Moda will be working with hero, a digital wellness platform set up by the former UK managing director of WeWork, which will help track and improve the health and fitness of residents. Residents will also be able to access advice from Premier League nutritionists and wellbeing coaches, hero will also provide mental health ‘first aid’ training for Moda building staff.
The appointment of John Sisk and & Son marks the next phase of delivery for Moda and joint venture partner Apache Capital. The JV is actively delivering thousands of high quality rental homes across the UK.
John Sisk & Son celebrates 160 years of building this year and the company has been active in the UK for over 40 years. The Broad Street site will be Sisk’s biggest Midlands scheme to date. Other high-profile projects the £96m Circle Square mixed-use scheme in Manchester, as well as Quintain’s huge Wembley Park 7,000-home build-to-rent development.
Tony Brooks, Managing Director at Moda Living, said: “Birmingham is a key city for Moda – as the UK’s fastest growing regional city and the number one city to relocate to from London. Our aim is to provide high quality housing to match the city’s ambition and growth.
Not only will this be a landmark building, it will also help raise the bar for rental in the city, offering unrivalled amenities and putting residents in control – offering flexible and long-term contracts. With a keen focus on health and wellbeing, the building includes a running track, landscaped terraces and shared spaces.
As a long-term partner to the city, it’s our responsibility to create social, healthy and connected communities.”
Guy Fowler, Regional Managing Director at John Sisk & Son, said: “We are delighted to have been appointed by Moda to deliver this landmark scheme in the heart of Birmingham. We look forward to working in partnership with all our stakeholders and in particular the local community to create a lasting legacy. As a family-owned business we are committed to people and that is what makes us successful in delivering complex projects.”
Backed by Apache Capital Partners, Moda has a £2bn development pipeline of 7,000 apartments across 10 UK cities. The first project to finish will be £154m 35-storey Angel Gardens in NOMA, Manchester, which will offer 466 homes designed specifically for rent. First residents will move in this Summer.
Andrew Parker, Director of Projects, Moda, said: "Moda are extremely pleased to be working with John Sisk and Sons on this landmark project. The teams have worked constructively together over many months to reach this milestone and we look forward to a successful project being delivered. Sisk were selected as they represented the open working values that Moda also prides itself upon, the family heritage which supports both businesses, aswell as the experience, appetite and capability to undertake such an exciting project for the city."
