The Covid-19 pandemic wounded the UK deeply. For cities like Birmingham, the cost is counted in lives affected and fortunes lost, a stricken economy, and a silenced city. This experience is at its worst in the quarter that relies heavily on visitors and tourists in Southside, Birmingham.
With the pandemic forcing lockdowns in the last two years, many of Southside’s thriving restaurants, leisure centres, shops, and lively cultural hotspots became desolate and empty. Its night-time economy was virtually wiped out.
The Chinese Quarter, the Gay Village, and the many iconic bars, shops, and venues were as empty as the streets. But the Brummie spirit couldn’t be denied!
Fast forward to 2022 and with the easing of the lockdowns, the Southside is slowly coming back to its own.
Creativity, Music, Leisure, And Food—The Business Of Entertainment In Southside, Birmingham
While it faces a near-insurmountable task of rejuvenating its community and economy, that task is shared by the city council and the local community and businesses through the Southside Business Improvement District (Southside BID).
Southside BID has outlined business schemes that include regeneration and the creation of residential property areas that would complement the rejuvenation of local businesses and answer the rising demand for housing.
The Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions it forced on the Southside have devasted the quarter’s food and entertainment tourism and nighttime economies. It forced many businesses for good—some cultural icons in their own rights.
But Southside BID can’t do it all on its own so it’s a great thing that major investments are making their way into one of the least-appreciated quarters in the city—one that’s responsible for Birmingham’s cultural identity and spirit.
The Southside is home to Birmingham’s Chinatown and Gay Village. It is famed for its top-class theatres and music venues. Live entertainment? We’ve got it all!
Hungry and looking for a place to dine and relax with family and friends? The Southside has classic Chinese cuisine as well as a healthy mix of restaurants and dining centres within the district, running from Birmingham New Street, Bristol Street, as well as Hurst Street, and those along the Smithfield Markets.
Music and live performances? It’s got the glitz and glamour of the stage, the bass, and the beats of the bars like those at The Arcadian in Hurst Street. But if you’ve got a hankering for live performances, we’ve got them at the O2 Academy which has hosted performances from some of Birmingham’s best homegrown talents as well as many international superstars.
The Southside is one of the most colourful and diverse areas of the city which is famed for its nightlife and world-class culture, and the entry of new businesses opening or relocating into the city centre in the post-pandemic era signals new opportunities not just for the centre, but for Southside, as well.
If you want to know more about the investments being poured into the Southside and the city centre, book a chat with us today or call us on 02079236100 and let us know what information you may want to know about property investments in Southside, Birmingham.
Southside Business Improvement District: Investing In Birmingham’s Cultural Heart
Birmingham is a major commercial centre and a primary retail, events, and conference hub. The Southside, in particular, is well-known and loved for its entertainment and nightlife economy and is attracting visitors from all over the UK and the world.
This influx of visitors draws professionals looking for opportunities in the services and hospitality sectors. And when they do, they look for housing next. It was ranked first in the list of best places for property investments in the UK, in 2019.
The reason for its success lies in the quiet but hardworking Southside Business Improvement District (Southside BID) team. Established in 2011, this team is a not-for-profit, elected organisation in place to deliver improvements to Southside, be it improving traffic and pedestrianisation, working with hundreds of local businesses.
It lobbies for the entry of new businesses that want to open or relocate into the area, as well as for regeneration projects that would create a combination of commercial and residential properties within the district that covers the Birmingham New Street Station, along Bristol Street and around the impressive new Smithfield development, and more.
The BID team is reviewed and elected every five years by the community and is now in its third term. Proof that the Southside BID is trusted to improve the Southside, develop its vibrancy, voice, and visibility, and make it a safe and welcoming place for residents and visitors.
Right now, the Southside BID is working hard to help make sure the area rises from the ruins the Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions have caused and jumpstart a turnaround in its misfortunes.
This includes schemes like walking and cycling routes from the Birmingham New Street Station to Southside, as well as parts around Hurst and Hill Streets. This will create better and safer pedestrianised areas within Southside.
The Southside BID is just one of the key players in the quarter’s rejuvenation and major investments and employers are looking at what kind of opportunities there are to be had in the area. Book a chat with us today or call us on 02079236100 and let us know what information you may want to know about property investments in Southside, Birmingham.
Major Investments and Regeneration Developments Bring In Employment and Income and Answer Housing Demand
The city of Birmingham currently has 12 BIDs which attract major private sector investments. Among them, Southside BID is currently being eyed not only for its plans to come up from under the Covid-19 restrictions better than ever, but also for its regeneration potential.
One of these projects, or “schemes” is the £9.5 million public square outside the Birmingham Hippodrome. It is part of the Enterprise Zone Investment Plan (EZIP) and of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) Enterprise Zone.
This new project is essentially the “gateway” to the Southside’s hugely popular quarters, the Chinatown and the Gay Village. It is expected to draw major investors and employers, as well as promote the area and attract visitors.
The scheme forms part of the GBSLEP’s target to transform the Southside area into an area where cultural and economic goals intersect and attract further inner and private sector investments.
This in turn will promote economic growth not only for Southside and for Birmingham, but the entire West Midlands region.
The Gateway To The Rest Of The UK—And The World
As a prime transport hub, and connected to the rest of the country (and the world) by rail, road, water, and air, Birmingham's location in the West Midlands plays a major role in its economic success.
While it is no longer the centre for industry and manufacturing, Birmingham’s extensive transport links continue to make it one of the largest centres of professional and business services, as well as a primary hub for events and conferences.
Birmingham New Street, for example, is the busiest train station in the UK outside of London. It sits on the border of Southside BID and may be considered the first step to reaching the city’s cultural and entertainment quarter.
In terms of air travel, the Birmingham International Airport is the third largest in the UK. With Covid-19 restrictions lifted, visitor numbers are returning to their pre-Covid annual numbers of over 1 million domestic and international visitors.
As regeneration projects are being undertaken in Southside, additional schemes are being proposed for the area and make it conducive for cultural events, activities, and more. Pedestrianisation works will create walking and cycling connections from the Birmingham New Street Station to the Southside. Work began this month and is expected to be completed in 12 to 18 months.
The Southside is looking to make a major revamp of its image and all roads lead in its direction. Learn more about how transport links are turning the Southside into the next new build property investment hotspot by booking a chat with us today or calling us on 02079236100.
Major Employers May Attract Professionals, But Schools Attract Students and Families—And Raises Housing Demand
The top universities in Birmingham, UK, are: the University of Birmingham, Birmingham City University, Aston University, and Newman University, to name a few. The University of Birmingham is ranked 105th out of 1,400 universities reviewed around the world and ranked 12th in the top 100 universities in the UK.
Apart from its higher education institutions, Birmingham also hosts major internationally renowned cultural and artistic organisations like the Birmingham Royal Ballet, the Birmingham Repertory Theatre, and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.
Birmingham is also home to the Library of Birmingham and the Barber Institute of Fine Arts, both of which enjoy attention in the form of cultural tourists, scholars, students, and more.
The Southside is particularly fortunate to be close to many of these institutions and schools. And its regeneration projects as well as its off plan and new build property investments benefit by being the first choice for students (both domestic and international) and families moving into the city.
Book a chat with our team today or call us on 02079236100 to know more about the property investments in Southside, Birmingham.
Regeneration: The Secret to Successful Off Plan Property Investments In Southside, Birmingham
As Southside changes, the challenge now will be to ensure that its image and reputation as Birmingham’s cultural heart and centre are still intact despite the sudden arrest it underwent during the pandemic and the restrictions.
A key to its success will be how the Southside BID will balance its vibrant nightlife economy with the influx of new build and off-plan property investments in Southside, Birmingham.
And there is excitement for these regeneration projects as new build residential properties not only increase and enhance the community, they help form its primary market which will support local businesses, live, work and study in Southside or close by in the city centre, and ultimately enrich the area and give it new life.
Learn more about the exciting opportunities in investing in off-plan and new build property in Southside, Birmingham by booking a chat with our team today or calling us on 02079236100.