Work starts on £133m Gay Village flats project

Work on a £133m project to construct more than 500 apartments in Birmingham’s Gay Village has started.The former site of Kent Street Baths is being transformed into 504 build-to-rent flats, with the project expected to be completed in two phases in 2022 and 2023.The scheme, which was approved by Birmingham City Council in March 2018, moved forward at the end of 2019 when funding worth almost £50m was signed off.The flats will be located between Bromsgrove Street and Kent Street and are being developed by High Street Residential.They will include a mix of studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments across five principle buildings ranging from seven to 19 storeys.There will also be an outdoor courtyard with a central three-storey community hub flexible commercial space leading onto Bromsgrove Street with provision for retail, restaurant, leisure and office space.Construction consultancy MAC will oversee the project, acting as employer agents and quantity surveyors at the site.