One of Birmingham’s busiest squares is set to be transformed as part of a new £10 million project.
Snow Hill Square will be completely redesigned to greatly improve one of the city’s main gateways for visitors arriving at the famous railway station.
The redesigned square will be at the heart of a number of other improvements to the Snow Hill area that will prioritise pedestrians over cars and buses.
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Plans include:
* Introducing a new two-way traffic flow on Livery Street between Cornwall Street and the Livery Street car park entrance;
* Swapping the location of a bus stop on Livery Street and the taxi rank in front of Snow Hill station;
* Removing the right-turn from Livery Street to Colmore Row;
* Rerouting buses 7, 46 and 101;
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* Reconfiguring the junction of Colmore Circus Queensway and Snow Hill Queensway.
Colmore Business Improvement District (BID) is working alongside , Transport for West Midlands and architects Broadway Malyan on the proposals.
Rob Valentine, Colmore BID vice-chairman, said: “Snow Hill Square makes a suitable extension of the earlier work of Colmore BID in Church Street Square and Colmore Square.
“Though a technically and legally demanding project, involving a live railway tunnel and multiple ownership interests, this space is a true gateway into the Colmore Business District and needs to be a high-quality environment.
“I’m very pleased with the design, and can’t wait to see this example of business-led place-making become a reality.”
Details of how the scheme will be funded will be revealed in a month-long public consultation.
City council Leader, Councillor John Clancy, described the plans as ‘exciting’.
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“These designs are a clear signal of our intent to develop a hugely important part of the city,” he said.
“Colmore BID and Birmingham City Council share a vision for Snow Hill Square and this exciting project is yet more proof that big things are happening in this city.”
The new square will feature a glass pavilion entrance to a new underground restaurant at One Colmore Row, alongside a large timber ‘City Bench’, designed to be a beautifully detailed feature.
New street and floor lighting will encourage better evening use of the square, while hints at Birmingham’s Anglo Saxon history will be incorporated into the design with ground-level etched granite stones featuring abstract geometric details.
Broadway Malyan director Danny Crump said: “Public open spaces are highly valuable to the liveability of city centres – that enigmatic quality that creates a sense of place and makes it feel good to be somewhere.
“Snow Hill Square is a real opportunity to properly utilise a valuable public space in a really vibrant part of Birmingham while also providing an appropriate welcome for this key gateway into Birmingham.”
A public consultation will take place near the entrance to Snow Hill station until November 2 before construction starts in spring 2017.
The project should be completed summer 2018.