The property company behind the regeneration of the former Silver Blades ice rink is now looking to tap into Birmingham's burgeoning student accommodation market.
Bouygues Development signed a joint venture in the summer with Hallmark Investments to turn the former Pershore Street ice rink into flats following its closure in May.
Now, the London-based firm has lodged new plans for a major halls of residence close to Five Ways Island, in Edgbaston.
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It is seeking permission to demolish the existing 1970s 'Bath Court' office building, on the corner of Bath Row and Islington Row Middleway, and erect a 435-bed student block with parking, gym, other ancillary facilities and a ground floor retail unit.
The floor area across the proposed 11-storey tower totals just under 130,000 sq ft comprising studio apartments and shared flats of either six or eight bedrooms.
It joins a long list of particularly in aimed at serving the
A statement prepared by consultancy Brooke Smith Planning said: "The demand report accompanying this application demonstrates that, although there is already a significant amount of student accommodation in Birmingham, a development with the right mix of room types and rental levels would be attractive.
"Student population in Birmingham stood at 50,600 in 2012/13 and this represents a growth of 12 per cent over the previous five years.
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"Bath Court could provide valuable city centre accommodation for all the universities but particularly for
"The stock of private student accommodation in 2014/15 in Birmingham totals approximately 7,500 rooms with a further 9,500 rooms provided directly by the University of Birmingham, and Birmingham City University.
"The advantage with this proposal for Bath Court is that it would serve all three."