Global commercial real estate advisor Avison Young has been appointed by the Gooch Estate as property manager for the estate and public realm at Typhoo Wharf in Digbeth, Birmingham, following a highly competitive tender process. A much-anticipated addition to the city’s creative quarter, Typhoo Wharf’s first occupier will be in The Tea Factory building, where the BBC’s new Birmingham home will open its doors in 2027.

Located on the main thoroughfare into the city from the southern entrance of the HS2 Curzon Street Station, the mixed-use neighbourhood will be a bustling hub for Birmingham’s creative community, which is already home to several creative venues including the Custard Factory, Eastside Projects and Digbeth Loc Studios.

The former home of Typhoo Tea, which opened its packing works in Bordesley Street in 1926, the scheme will reinvigorate the historic factory building and surrounding area, delivering 84,000 sq ft of new commercial premises for BBC Birmingham and 2,884 sq ft of new leisure space. The scheme will eventually deliver 800,000 sq ft of new residential and commercial space.

Avison Young’s Real Estate, Facilities and Infrastructure Management team in the Midlands will be providing a number of services to the Gooch Estate, including public realm activation across the wider site, with further plots expected to be developed out soon.

Redevelopment work on the former home of the Typhoo Tea Factory in Birmingham has already commenced, with the BBC expected to complete its fit out in 2027.

Guy Thompson, Principal, Real Estate, Facilities & Infrastructure Management at Avison Young, said:
“Typhoo Wharf is part of a bold vision for Birmingham’s future, transforming an area with a rich industrial history into a neighbourhood that meets the needs of today’s communities and businesses. With The Tea Factory set to become the new home of the BBC, and the wider area evolving into the epicentre of Birmingham’s creative economy, it’s certainly a significant time for the city.

“This is a landmark appointment for Avison Young and a fantastic opportunity for our team to showcase our extensive service offer and to help shape a destination that honours its past while inspiring the next generation of talent and innovation. We will be working with our new client and their development partner Stoford to take forward their vision for the scheme, particularly Typhoo Square in the centre of the development.

“It will be a destination to live, work and play and our custodianship will bring Typhoo to life through events and activation that will engage the occupiers and the wider Digbeth creative community, in addition to our core services in relation the important governance and compliance of managing high class public realm estate.”

Lucinda Hutson, Director at The Gooch Estate, added:
“Bringing Avison Young onboard to manage Typhoo Wharf is an exciting milestone in the future of the scheme. This is a major project for Birmingham, putting the city firmly on the map as a destination for creative talent, anchored by a state-of-the-art new home for BBC Birmingham.

“We look forward to working with Avison Young, and our existing partners, to maximise the benefits of the considerable investments made in the neighbourhood’s future and support its success as a cornerstone of the city’s creative legacy.”