The NCP car park above The Pallasades shopping centre is to close next month for demolition and rebuilding as part of the Birmingham New Street and Pallasades redevelopment.
The car park, which dates from the 1970s, will be demolished and in its place a modern secure facility built to complement the redeveloped Pallasades centre and John Lewis department store, which open in Autumn 2014.
Network Rail said the original intention was to refurbish the car park but the structural survey revealed significant deterioration typical of a 1970s concrete multi-storey car park.
Network Rail said they can rebuild the car park for a similar cost to the refurbishment, which will give them a facility totally in keeping with the rest of the development, and ‘may even deliver additional spaces’.
The car park will remain open until its closure at 7pm on Friday 18 May with the new car park set to open in 2014.
Chris Montgomery, project director for Network Rail explained:
“The redevelopment of Birmingham New Street will not only transform the station but deliver a modern, upgraded Pallasades centre and new John Lewis department store which will help transform the city centre and create new jobs.
“We apologise for any inconvenience the closure will cause but the existing car park has seen better days so demolishing it and starting again is the only viable alternative to allow us to deliver an improved, modern facility for the city.”
Surely a large car park over a major city centre railway station is a complete anachronism in this age of congestion charges, commuter rail resurgence, trams, etc.?