Makers Place completed as 722 homes open on former Jewellery Quarter car park

A £300m development of 722 rented homes on the edge of Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter has been completed, ending six years of work on the site of a former council car park.

Makers Place, on Great Charles Street, was built by the developer Moda Living with its investment partner Apache Capital and the construction firm Sisk. The scheme has transformed the old Ludgate Hill car park into three buildings, ranging from five to 39 storeys.

Designed by Ryder Architecture, it won planning permission from Birmingham City Council in 2020. Building work started in April 2023 and the tallest block topped out in 2025.

Shops and cafes below

As well as the homes, the scheme includes around 22,000 sq ft of commercial space at ground level, and two of the units have already been let.

The homes are build-to-rent, meaning they are owned and managed by a single landlord and let to tenants rather than sold. Makers Place is Moda and Apache Capital's second joint development in Birmingham, after The Mercian, and Moda's third rental neighbourhood in the city.

"A huge milestone"

Johnny Caddick, chief executive of Moda, said: "Completing Makers Place is a huge milestone for everyone involved and something we're incredibly proud of."

"Seeing a brownfield site that stood undeveloped for more than 70 years transformed into a new neighbourhood in such a fantastic location is amazing, and a testament to the ambition, commitment and hard work of everyone involved," he said.

"We've built a strong relationship with Birmingham City Council over many years, and Makers Place is a great example of what can be achieved when the public and private sectors work together to unlock challenging sites."

John Dunkerley, chief executive and co-founder of Apache Capital, called it a "landmark moment" for the company and for Birmingham.

"When we committed to the scheme in 2023, it was the largest regional build-to-rent funding deal the UK had seen, reflecting our long-term conviction in the city and the depth of demand for high-quality, professionally managed rental homes," he said.

He thanked Moda, Sisk and the city council, as well as the scheme's other backers, Harrison Street and NFU Mutual.

A changing skyline

The completion adds another tower to a fast-changing stretch of the city centre. The area between the Jewellery Quarter, Snow Hill and the Colmore business district has seen a wave of high-rise rental schemes in recent years, as developers and investors bet on continued demand from young professionals and graduates choosing to stay in the city.

Build-to-rent has become one of the main ways new homes are being delivered in Birmingham's city centre. Supporters say it brings well-managed homes and investment into areas that had been left empty for decades, while critics argue that rents in many of the new blocks are out of reach for most local people, and that the city needs far more social housing alongside them.