In a disused retail unit in a busy city centre street, a team of property execs is hoping to convince the people of Birmingham that its vision for a down-trodden shopping precinct deserves their backing.
Hammerson, the company whose thumbprint is welded indelibly onto Birmingham's thriving retail scene through its ownership of Bullring and Grand Central, is in town.
Complete with a very slick model of its plans, staff are bedded in at The Square in Corporation Street where they are meeting the media, stakeholders, tenants of the 1960s retail complex and, of course, the city's elected representatives.
This is the first real turn of the publicity wheel as Hammerson's directors engage with those who wish to discover more about its long-term plans for The Square and its neighbouring NCP car park - two slabs of Birmingham concrete which have seen far better days.
Branded Martineau Galleries, and certainly not to be confused Martineau Place next door, the 7.5-acre site will - if they can secure council backing - be bulldozed and transformed into one of Birmingham's largest, mixed-use urban regenerations.
"Martineau Galleries is going to be a new destination in the city centre which puts people and public realm at its heart," says Guy Wells, Hammerson's assistant director who is on hand to evangelise about the project.
"We are providing new homes, workspaces, public squares, pedestrianisation of Dale End and a new boulevard down to the HS2 station that also stitches into the new Moor Street public realm.
"We see the ground floors of all the buildings being restaurants and cafés, providing an all-day offer from breakfast in the morning to dining out in the evening.
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"There's potentially up to 10,000 end-use jobs available in these buildings and around 350 construction jobs for each year of work."
The scheme is just one part of a much wider sweeping tide of inner city redevelopment which has gathered such pace in recent years.
In smaller locales, Martineau Galleries would stand above all others but here it must compete for the imagination of the public, political leaders - and crucially the money men - with current projects such as Paradise and Arena Central and much longer-term visions like Smithfield and Snow Hill Wharf.
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Hammerson is aiming to develop up to 1,300 new homes, including one potential building of 35 storeys, 1.4 million sq ft of commercial space, a hotel, expected to contain around 400 bedrooms, and public space.
If all goes according to the listed property group's plans, consent for the outline proposals will be secured before the end of this year and Hammerson will gain full occupancy of The Square and other buildings on the application site by 2022, signalling the start of demolition work.
Mr Wells said: "We would want a pre-let agreement to trigger development of the first commercial building and would also come forward with a residential building at the same time.
"We see there is demand for grade A, prime office space in the city centre and we would be targeting the big corporates looking to relocate from London, new international occupiers which want representation in the 海角视频 and rationalisation of companies already in Birmingham.
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"It's too early at the moment to be having those conversations though so we're really focussed on outline planning."
The masterplan for the site has been designed by Birmingham practice Glenn Howells Architects and the overall scheme is expected to take up to 15 years to complete.
Hammerson's interest in the site goes back to the late 1990s but it did not take complete control until 2015 after being a joint owner with other property groups as part of the Martineau Galleries Alliance.
Disgruntled MPs threw scorn on Hammerson's ownership of the site, complaining of a perceived sluggishness to get the project moving.
"In 2015, our focus was very much on taking complete ownership but also acquiring Grand Central," Mr Wells explained.
"In 2016 and 2017, we were all sitting and waiting for the act of Parliament to be brought forward for HS2 and have now been working with the city council's planning officers to evolve this masterplan for the past 21 months.
"This project is not dependent on HS2 going ahead - all the demand drivers for this, such as city centre living and working and restaurants, are already there."
Hammerson's public consultation is being held in a unit in Corporation Street on the following dates:
- Thursday June 13, 2pm - 8pm
- Friday June 14, 11am - 4pm
- Saturday June 15, 11am - 4pm