F1 Arcade, the first Formula 1 licensed premium experiential venue of its kind, is to occupy an 11,000 sq ft unit at Paradise Birmingham, the £1.2bn business, leisure, and residential development in Birmingham. The move marks only the second UK venue for the brand after its first venue in London was announced earlier this year and opens later this month.

The unique attraction offers offer an immersive, cutting-edge F1 racing simulation experience for individuals and groups, with appeal for both corporate and social occasions across a wide-ranging demographic, including families. It features bespoke racing simulators designed especially for the venue, featuring motion and audio-visual effects to immerse guests in the race. The experience takes inspiration from the exhilarating world of Formula 1, with sleek venue design paired with best-in-class food and drink offerings.

The concept was created by Adam Breeden, the pioneer of competitive socialising with proven and consistent worldwide success in fuelling the rise in the competitive socialising trend, with notable venues including Flight Club, Bounce, Hijingo, All Star Lanes and Puttshack.

F1 Arcade will be in good company and will join existing leisure operators at Paradise, including Vinoteca, Dishoom, Albert’s Schloss and Rosa’s Thai. Paradise is also home to occupiers such as PwC, DLA Piper, Knights, Mazars, Atkins, Cazenove Capital and Cubo across its first two office buildings, One and Two Chamberlain Square.

The Paradise scheme is being brought forward through Paradise Circus Limited Partnership, a private-public joint venture with Birmingham City Council. The private sector funding is being managed by Federated Hermes, which has partnered with Canada Pension Plan Investment Board on the first phase of the development and for One Centenary Way, the 280,000 sq ft first part of Phase Two. MEPC is the development and asset manager.

MEPC Senior Development Manager, Ross Fittall, commented: “F1 Arcade will be a major new attraction for the city and one that will appeal to all ages and backgrounds. This truly ground-breaking new leisure concept is coming to Birmingham in only its second venue in the UK. With cutting edge gameplay, high quality food and drink and an inviting, innovative space, it will be an exciting venue with something for everyone”.

BGP advised the development partnership on the letting to F1 Arcade.

Vinoteca has taken a 3,390 sq ft unit in MEPC’s Paradise mixed-use development in Birmingham. The restaurant at Two Chamberlain Square is Vinoteca’s seventh outlet. Vinoteca co-founder Charlie Young said: “Birmingham has always been quick to embrace new food and drink concepts, and we felt this was the perfect setting for our first regional site. The huge success of the Commonwealth Games has just added to the city’s buzz and has brought a new awareness of Birmingham and all it has to offer.” The Paradise scheme is a major transformation of the heart of Birmingham, and comprises a mixed-use commercial development with up to ten new buildings including offices, a hotel, restaurants, bars and cafes as well as a 49-storey residential tower. The scheme is being progressed through a private-public joint venture with Birmingham City Council and funding managed by Federated Hermes. MEPC is the development manager. Bruce Gillingham Pollard (BGP) advised Federated Hermes and MEPC in the letting to Vinoteca. BGP director, Victoria Broadhead, added: “We have worked with a number of F&B concepts who have looked to expand regionally after establishing themselves in London. Vinoteca is an excellent brand which prides itself on working closely with producers to curate one of the UK’s most extensive wine lists. It has redefined the wine bar concept by offering a relaxed and laid-back experience that can be enjoyed by all. It is a letting which substantially enhances the eating and drinking options at the Paradise development.”

BGP are committed to achieving net zero and setting a suitable path to science based targets to help the business achieve this.

We are delighted to be part of Grosvenor Net Zero Mentoring Programme alongside green consultancy The Heart of The City. This will enable our business to calculate baseline, set an action plan and achieve our agreed science based targets.

A partnership between BBC Studios, Factory 42, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and EE, they will use 5G to create The Green Planet Augmented Reality experience within this flagship building, funded by the Government’s 5G competition and presented by Sir David Attenborough. It will be a totally unique space using ground-breaking technology allowing visitors to travel through 5 digital worlds; Rainforest, Freshwater, Saltwater, Desert and Seasonal using their phone with the aim to use this immersive experience to inspire people of all ages to affect positive change.

After the first meeting with Michael Gunton Executive Producer for The Green Planet, it was obvious that this project would align perfectly with The Crown Estate’s focus on sustainability and their ambition to continue to bring world class experiences to their estate.

For further information, please contact Rupert Bentley-Smith

The next generation of family clubs Jaego’s House will open in Kensal Rise in May 2022, quite literally something for all the family under one roof.

Members will have access to a whole range of services: a jungle gym and soft play; crèche and childminding; Co working office; studio and fitness classes; library; gym; restaurant and waterside cafe; treatment rooms; kids cinema.

We have worked with founder Charlie Gardiner for a number of years and are delighted to have secured the first of his new venture on his behalf. Please speak to Jamie Orme for future enquires.

What a year 2021 has been! Despite the lows of restrictions and lockdowns, there have been some highs and here at Bruce Gillingham Pollard we have been exceptionally busy.

SO, we thought it only right to celebrate some of those highs.

Over the next 12 days we’ll be sharing with you a selection of those highs, with some (if only we could share all!) of our exciting work of the year.

We’re excited to kick start our week by announcing that, following 3 excellent presentations and 12 months of incredible hard work, Lucy Cope, Thea Rowe and Sophie Moorcroft have all been promoted to Associate Director. 🥂

We are extremely proud of their achievements, personal growth, and the contribution they have each made to the business and look forward to seeing them continue to grow. As ever we are grateful to the wider team who have supported them during their development and growth.

Managing Director Tracey Pollard comments “Our team are the bedrock of the business and the generosity of time and willingness to pass on knowledge and skills to each other is what makes the BGP team so special.  Observing the individual growth made by Thea, Lucy, and Sophie over the last year has been fantastic, particularly bearing in mind the challenges we have all experienced.  With so much momentum and opportunity, we are excited to watch how they each develop during the next 12 months.”