A lawyer from Knights has said how ongoing development in Digbeth can learn from a similar rejuvenation at Kings Cross.
Birmingham-based Partner, Jonathan Wright, was speaking as part of a panel at the Insider Economic Futures event at The Old Library in Digbeth on Tuesday (9 December).
He appeared alongside Bob Ghosh from the Digbeth Business Improvement District and Hayley Pepler from the West Midlands Combined Authority.
Speaking as part of the panel, Jonathan said: “There are similarities between how Kings Cross looked before it was redeveloped and where Digbeth has been - derelict areas, a renowned nightclub scene and a history of industry there. However, I was walking through Kings Cross recently and whilst it’s a beautifully conceived development, for me, it lacked a bit of soul”.
“They’ve done a great job in terms of regeneration, but I think you could argue they have missed an opportunity to truly embrace the creative sector in a way that maybe they should have.”
“It feels too corporate in my view, and I really hope those at the forefront of this Digbeth regeneration don’t lose sight of the essence of Digbeth.
“There’s a lot of opportunity in Birmingham, but it needs to remain fundamentally affordable and economically sustainable – and that’s the real challenge. Any development in Digbeth should provide reasonably priced spaces for people to come and work.
“It’s important we learn from other areas and embrace what this city and Digbeth has to offer as there’s a great history here and so many fantastic employment opportunities.
“Original Digbeth was truly placemaking at its best in that people lived, worked and played in the area. It is vital people buy into the regeneration if a new development is going to succeed in replicating that.
“It’s a collective effort if we’re going to have people living, working and growing here and someone’s going to have to lead the way to change any possible negative perception around this place.
“I was talking with one of the landowners I worked with in Digbeth, and he talked of a time where every pub would have live music playing – I’d love for those days to come back. It might be a pipedream, but it would be great to see Digbeth become a proud music venue once again.
On the event itself, Jonathan said it was great to be a part of:
“It was enjoyable because I think fundamentally, we're talking about projects which I've been involved with, and you are seeing some come to fruition.
“I would say that's the most exciting thing about being a property lawyer because you get to see the things that you put on paper come to life. You then get to talk to people about how things evolve, in what is a very collaborative process. That's what I get a buzz out as a lawyer. It's been a great event.”
Midlands Deputy Editor at Insider, Ian Griffin said it’s great hear from those at the heart of developments across the city:
“Those people that are on the ground to speak to the developers, that speak to the people that are making these things happen give us massive insight.
“That’s what Jonathan did, he gave us insight to what developers are thinking, what the viability of projects are and what the vision should be going forward for any project.
“People like Jonathan are experienced and he talked about some of the projects he's worked on over the years in Digbeth and what has worked and what hasn't worked quite as well. That insight brings a richness to an event like this, which really helped us today.”