Office plan for former John Lewis store

Birmingham's former flagship John Lewis store at Grand Central could be transformed into a new office space for up to 2,000 workers.

The four-storey development, called Drum, would also include a gym, food market, bar and restaurant.

Plans have been submitted and if approval is granted, work will start later this year, with a potential 2025 opening date.

The city centre store opened in 2015 above New Street Station but closed five years later.

Grand Central's owners, Hammerson, said it had worked with Network Rail, Birmingham City Council and West Midlands Combined Authority to create a design that will "serve as a leading-edge workspace for the city".

Harry Badham, chief development and asset repositioning officer for the firm, said: “This project is the next step in Hammerson’s vision to transform our Birmingham estate, creating a truly multi-use asset that thrives due to its relevance and diversity." 

Architect Ken Shuttleworth, whose company also designed Birmingham's Cube building, said they had considered how to draw people back into the workplace by "prioritising well-being and dynamism".

"We’ve applied this here so the design for Drum goes beyond a traditional workspace in every sense.”

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