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Eastside, Birmingham

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1729953

Eastside, Birmingham

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Eastside, Birmingham

Eastside is a district of Birmingham City Centre, England that is undergoing a major redevelopment project. The overall cost when completed is expected to be £6–8 billion over ten years which will result in the creation of 12,000 jobs. 8,000 jobs are expected to be created during the construction period. It is part of the larger Big City Plan project.

Excavations revealed that the area was used as farmland in the Medieval times. Archaeological excavations at the City Park Gate site revealed soil that had been used on farms. It is known that a significant area had been bought by the English monarchy and was used as a deer game park. Some of this area stretched into the Eastside of Birmingham. The only surviving part of this is Park Street Gardens. The land was sold and slowly began to develop once again as farm land.

During the Industrial Revolution, the area was home to a massive complex of factories and workshops and was accessed by part of the canal network, most notably the Digbeth Branch Canal which bisects the area. The Grand Union Canal is located along the boundaries of the area and meets the Digbeth Branch Canal at Warwick Bar. In the late 19th century, the area was accessed by a major tram network which ran along Albert Street. However, as the industry in the area subsided, the area fell into decline and many of the original factory buildings became derelict. The old Victorian factory buildings were never maintained and the canals became dirty and clogged with only small stretches being cleaned. Small independent businesses moved into the area. A major brewery was located near Curzon Street station and this resulted in the establishment of a public house further down the road which currently exists as a Grade II listed building.

The River Rea, which remains largely hidden due to high brick walls surrounding it constructed in Victorian times, also flows to the extreme east of the area. The river is crossed at Deritend Bridge.

Curzon Street railway station was a major railway station during the 19th century and served as a goods station with another terminus opposite. It was located too far from the city centre and failed as a passenger station. It shut down in 1966 as a goods station.

Bartholomew Row received its name from Saint Bartholomew Church, which was built next to it. The church was surrounded by Park Street Gardens which were significantly cut down in size due to surrounding development. Part of the graveyard of the church still remains.

In 1983, Aston Science Park was opened adjacent to the Aston University campus. The 22-acre (8.9 ha) site has continued to develop and is considered a key part of the Eastside regeneration scheme.

In the late 1990s, plans for the regeneration of the area were aired to the public. The first plan unveiled was called the 1996 Digbeth Millennium Quarter Plan which presented proposals for the area around Digbeth and parts of Eastside. The 1998 Bull Ring and Markets Quarter Plan contained guidance to the Digbeth and Deritend area. Large scale projects which involved the renovation, demolition and reparation of the area started to be aired to the public. The first of these projects to be completed was Millennium Point which was completed in 2002 to replace the Birmingham Science Museum. On 1 February 2002, a masterplan for the Eastside was developed by HOK International and this set out the basic developments.

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