Three weeks have passed since House of Fraser permanently closed its doors in Birmingham City Centre, bringing to an end a retail legacy that stretches back to 1851.
The story began when William Riddell and Henry Wilkinson launched a drapery business at 78 Bull Street. They expanded into wholesale on Temple Row before former apprentice and buyer John Rackham joined forces with William Matthews in 1881 to take over the operation.
Known simply as ‘Rackhams’, the store found a long-term home in the North Western Arcade from 1890, thanks to trader Charles Richards who moved it there and introduced a dressmaking department.
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Despite challenges — including going up for sale without any buyers amid financial difficulties in 1927, and sustaining significant damage during the 1940 Blitz — Rackhams rebuilt and endured. In 1955, Harrods acquired the store, relocating it to a larger site on Corporation Street. By 1966, the store was rebranded as House of Fraser, becoming the brand’s second largest department store. Major refurbishments in the 1980s further modernised the premises.
Yet today, the former Rackhams stands empty and boarded up, echoing with memories but awaiting a new chapter.
That chapter is demolition – a fate shared by many parts of Birmingham’s city centre. Birmingham City Council aims to breathe new life into the area through its Birmingham Central Heart initiative, which plans to transform 17 hectares of underutilised retail and office space into a vibrant, mixed-use neighbourhood.
The project will centre around Cherry Street – the stretch featuring familiar outlets like Greggs and McDonald’s between Corporation Street and Pigeon Park.
Currently owned by Legal & General, the site is being redeveloped in partnership with Sphere Group, alongside adjacent properties including One and 43 Temple Row, 71 Corporation Street, and the whole North Western Arcade.
The vision includes approximately 600 new homes and 14,000 square metres of commercial space. The House of Fraser building itself will be repurposed into a mixed-use development. Plans also call for Cherry Street to be widened and landscaped, creating a green corridor linking Cathedral Square to the upcoming HS2 station.
As for timing, HS2 services to Birmingham are expected between May 2036 and October 2039, according to official projections.
Before demolition and redevelopment can begin in earnest, Sphere Group will present detailed proposals for public consultation later this year. Thomas Taylor, Managing Director of Sphere Group, shared with BirminghamLive: “We are preparing transformative mixed-use plans for the former Rackhams building and beyond in Birmingham city centre and will be unveiling our proposals for public consultation later this year. A number of options for the site are currently being explored.”
In the meantime, no immediate changes will take place. Sphere Group is working closely with existing businesses occupying buildings slated for demolition to manage the transition smoothly.
“Long-term, we’re looking forward to regenerating this key city centre site,” added Taylor.
More updates will follow as plans advance, paving the way for a bold new vision for this historic city centre location.