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| Photo credit https://x.com/MccreeryMac |
The Electric Cinema closed on 29th Feb 2024. The UK's oldest working cinema, housed on Station Street, outside New St. Station, is a site of historical value.
Now it emerges there are proposals to destroy Station Street entirely for a 50 floor tower.
More than just The Electric; Station St needs to be designated a site of Civic pride, Cultural value and Historic asset by the West Midland's Mayor and Birmingham's civic leadership and members of Parliament. Any applicable listings for historical, architectural and cultural importance should be pursued in order to ensure no demolition of a vibrant and clearly viable street takes place.
At risk are the following:
The Electric. An Art-Deco masterpiece and at 115yrs old is the oldest working cinema in the UK.
The Crown is Birmingham's Cavern Club. Black Sabbath's first gig was here and it's the birthplace of Heavy Metal. It should be restored from it's current delict state. Given life as a small music venue, music education center and bar for experimental and interesting music to thrive.
Several healthy and successful businesses in hospitality.
Not currently at risk but in danger of being a victim of this cultural vandalism is The Old Rep. A Grade II listed theatre and Britain's Oldest Rep Theatre.
Ideally Station Street should be pedestrianised and turned into Birmingham's small venues cultural offer and the beating heart of a city proud of its heritage, cutting edge in it's arts outlook and bold in its vision. Complimented by the recent John Bright Street regeneration.
Birmingham has been down this path before. Destroying historic and beautiful architecture of nationally cultural significance only to regret it shortly after. Do not repeat the mistakes of the past. Birmingham needs apartments but there are huge supplies of land in Birmingham city centre more suitable than this. A city with no culture or history is a just a block of flats and a train station taking people elsewhere in the long run.
Birmingham calls on its leaders to stop the destruction of Station Street now before it is too late.
Find out more at https://x.com/OldStationSt
Photo credit https://x.com/MccreeryMac
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