650 homes lined up at former Birmingham Rackhams store
The first stage of Birmingham’s Central Heart plan will emerge later this summer, after plans for 650 homes and 380,000 sq ft of office space were lodged for a former city centre department store.
The former Rackhams department store closed down for good last month, and the Legal & General-owned site was included in Birmingham’s Central Heart regeneration proposals, launched earlier this year by the city council.
City developer Sphere Group has now lodged an EIA scoping request for its plans, which also include ground floor retail and redeveloped public realm and include two other buildings at 43 Temple Row, and 1 Temple Row.
A scoping report put forward by Sphere considers a range of high-level options that are being lined up for the site, before the business brings forward a more detailed proposal for full public consultation, expected later this year.
The former Rackhams site on the corner of Corporation Street and Cherry Street. Credit: Google
A formal planning application is then expected to follow.
Its plans appear to have evolved since the Central Heart launch at MIPIM in March, with potentially double the original amount of office space now proposed.
“Our exciting and ambitious development plans will regenerate this centrally located site, providing modern office space, much-needed homes, new retail and beautiful public open spaces,” said Thomas Taylor, managing director at Sphere Group.
“This EIA scoping request is a positive step forward for our emerging proposals as we explore several options for the site from a sustainability, viability and deliverability point of view. Following this, we will have more detailed proposals which we’ll unveil for a full and formal public consultation later in the summer and we’re really looking forward to discussing our plans with the community as things progress.”
Documents relating to the EIA request can be found on Birmingham’s planning portal using reference: 2026/04259/PA
