Bruntwood eyes up Knowledge Quarter office sale

A landmark office building which was originally one of Birmingham’s earliest innovation hubs has been put up for sale this month.

Bruntwood SciTech bought up the 44,353 sq ft Faraday Wharf from Birmingham City Council in 2018 as part of a portfolio of three properties next to the Aston University campus, situated in the Knowledge Quarter investment zone on the outskirts of the city centre.

Faraday Wharf was completed in 2001 as the flagship building of what was then Birmingham Science Park Aston, now Innovation Birmingham. The building was one of Birmingham’s earliest purpose-built digital and innovation hubs, arriving before the city’s current innovation narrative around Eastside, Curzon Street, HS2, the Knowledge Quarter and Bruntwood SciTech.

Faraday Wharf was built in 2001 as part of a Birmingham City Council-backed innovation campus. Credit: CBRE

Agents CBRE say the sale is a chance for investors to acquire a “self contained building of scale”, which could potentially become a landmark headquarters office HQ or education facility, with the building in striking distance of around 17,000 students at the main university campus.

Indicative layouts on a listing released last week show the building set up for educational use, however the building has flexible planning consent for either educational or office uses.

“Strategically positioned near Aston and Birmingham City Universities, the site allows investors to benefit from a hotbed of emerging talent and technology on their doorstep,” said Theo Holmes, head of office agency in the Midlands at CBRE.

“Faraday Wharf gives investors a rare chance to expand or solidify their presence in Birmingham as it continues to grow and develop. The city is a commercial force, with the strongest economy outside of London, and will no doubt continue to grow as projects such as Central Heart and HS2 make the city even more desirable.”