Beneficial Building | Paradise St/Suffolk St | 7 FL | Hotel Refurb | Prop.

[Typhoon2000]

Ah, that's great news.. Place has been going for years, it's a bit of a legend to be honest.. Is it the longest lasting club in Birmingham (in one form or another)?

[SuttonBluenose]

how long has snobs been around?

[lbrown]

Hopefully they wont refurbish Snobs, it would lose its atmosphere if it were new and shiny, probably lose the existing customers which make it what it is.

[morestoreysplease]

At least 1971 I think. I bet it hasn't changed since I last went in which was about 10 years ago!

[markmcd1976]

We used to have 6th college discos there in the early 90s, barring a couple of minor changes it is still very much the same place today. Although I feel waaaayy to old when I go in there now.

[rafter1]

I was in there as a sixteen year old in 1971, and continued to go there until about 1980. It must be the night club that has retained the same name for the longest time, in Birmingham anyway.

[Typhoon2000]

1971?? Bloody hell!...

Of course it hasn't changed really - well apart from losing the old style disco lights back in the 1980's, probably... - I actually wonder if any of those old electrics work still..

I do remember reading an article that mentioned that it was the first place to bring house music to the West Midlands so I knew it was at least 30 years old - a friend of mine claimed his aunt was going 40 years ago. I started going back in 2003/4. My Snobs days are pretty much over but I don't mind dropping by once in a blue moon on a Saturday night as you occasionally find people my age down there - Wednesday is the main student night.. too old now lol!

Someone should write a book about this place!

[morestoreysplease]

Yep I remember! 1986 and the DJ had lots of vinyl from Chicago including Steve Silk Hurley and Farley Jackmaster Funk! Exciting times! Around this time my mate was banging the manageress and our group of lads of about 8 used to hang around the bar down past the chrome poles which was "our corner" and no-one else had the nerve to hang out there! We felt like Goodfellas at the time!

[ReissOmari]

Never knew Snobs been around for that long 21+ years before I was born!

[NeilHouston]

Apparently this was approved at the planning committee today.

[Brummyboy92]

Lets get it started then, so fed up of looking at scaffolding.

[Spread]

From Busessnes Desk (also posted on Paradise Circus thread). Another article in BP but not on line yet:

Paradise Circus scheme set for green light from planners

A £450m scheme to redevelop Birmingham’s Paradise Circus – including the demolition of the city’s central library – is set to go before planners today.

Councillors are expected to give their backing to the proposals submitted by developer Argent.

The scheme concentrates on 17 acres of land between Centenary Square and Chamberlain Square. It comprises a mixed-use development including offices, shops, leisure, cultural and civic facilities along with a 250-bedroom four-star hotel to replace the existing Copthorne Hotel.

Under the plans, the Birmingham Conservatoire would be relocated a short distance away to Louisa Ryland House on Edmund Street, with a 450-seat concert hall set to replace the existing Adrian Boult Hall.

The 1.8 million sq ft scheme is one of the largest of its kind to be submitted this year.

Councillors are believed to favour the scheme because of the regeneration opportunities it presents to an important part of the city centre and one that is included in the collection of sites comprising the city centre’s Enterprise Zone sites in the city centre.

The proposals have received a boost with permission being granted for the £16m conversion of the Beneficial Building in Paradise Street.

Developer Anthony McCourt plans a new 137-bedroom hotel, 53 serviced apartments and a new café or restaurant.

[i_like_concrete]

I never realised the elevation facing Alpha Tower was slightly convex, it is very subtle indeed! I hope they succeed in returning it to its original condition, wasn't there a sculpture on the side of it at one point too?

[morestoreysplease]

Oh yes you're right i_l_c!! Down the face where Hotel is written. I'd forgotten about that.

[sefton66]

Should add some life to the area, be glad to finally have the scaffolding come off this

[sefton66]

Start in Spring next year, 100 jobs, 50 for young unemployed, cafe and restaurant operator in talks, and cladding will be ripped off

£16m plans to bring landmark HSBC Birmingham building back to life
by Graeme Brown, Birmingham Post Dec 21 2012

The city’s first ever pre-cast concrete building – built more than 40 years ago – is to be transformed into a hotel, restaurant and apartments.

Planning permission has been granted for a £16 million scheme at the former HSBC building in Paradise Street – currently home to Snobs nightclub – which will create 100 new jobs, including at least 50 for young, unemployed people.

Known as the Beneficial Building, the seven-storey site was the first pre-cast concrete building in Birmingham but has been largely vacant for years after its owners fell into administration in 2008.

Now work will begin in spring to transform the building into a new 137-bedroom hotel, 53 serviced apartments and a new café/restaurant created.


The building is currently surrounded by scaffolding to protect people from unsafe cladding panels, some of which have fallen off.


The scheme is the first for developer Anthony McCourt of Court Collaboration since leaving his post at The Cube last year.

Mr McCourt, 30, told the Post he has initial agreements with hotel/apartment operators and a new café and restaurant – although they were still being finalised – and he is also in talks with the managers of Snobs, Athens Greek restaurant and take-away Top Nosh about the future of the building.

He said: “I always walked past this building looking at its state and thinking ‘what a shame’, as it is so close to the entrance of the city at Queensway and the Town Hall. So after some hard work, I found an opportunity to acquire it and bring it back to life.”

“This is a 100 per cent pre-let development. In the end it will create 100 jobs – half of which will be young, unemployed people – not to mention the construction jobs along the way,” he added.

“It is development in Birmingham with a conscience and doing something that has never been harder to do, which is to get a pre-let funded scheme on site.”

Originally the quarters of HSBC bank in Birmingham, the building was more recently let as mixed offices with a number of professional service firms.

Mr McCourt said its proximity to the Colmore Row business area and the shopping districts of The Mailbox and the soon-to-be John Lewis store, makes it an ideal opportunity for redevelopment.

The plans have been drawn up by Glenn Howells Architects. Director Davinder Bansal said: “We are excited to be a part of this project which will bring back to life a 60s piece of quality architecture, so close to Paradise Circus and the proposed metro extension line. The Beneficial Building was once an aesthetically beautiful building and we are delighted that the developer proposes to reinstate it to its former glory and remove the jaded metal cladding.


“The sustainable re-use of the building will be a great mixed-use addition to the city centre when complete and we are already working with the entire professional team to get on to site for the second quarter of 2013.”

Mr McCourt said he was unable to reveal the new occupants expected to sign up but said he was pleased with the calibre of new business interested.

He added: “It was the very first pre-cast concrete building in Birmingham, it is across the road from Paradise Circus and a couple of hundred metres from the new John Lewis store.

“It is a shame that it has sat like this for as long as it has, but now it is going to get some long overdue TLC.

Read More http://www.birminghampost.net/birmin...#ixzz2FiVSIoAX

[sefton66]

Anyone got pics of this before the metal clad refurb?

[Spread]

Planning application for large advert on the hoardings:

http://eplanning.birmingham.gov.uk/N...APP&key=589500

Contains this interesting email, designed to show that things are indeed moving forward on this scheme:

http://eplanning.birmingham.gov.uk/N...rod_DC_PLANAPP

[Birmingham]

Thanks Spread.

Est. September/October start then.

[Typhoon2000]

Saw a bit of activity in this. They were stripping out the unit(s) between Snobs and that crappy takeaway place today.