Wragge & Co LLP Real Estate group has advised Birmingham City Council on its purchase of the Pallasades Shopping Centre from Warner Estate Holdings PLC. The centre, located above Birmingham New Street Station, is a key site in the city's £600 million redevelopment of New Street Station, known as the Birmingham Gateway project.

With more than 33 million passengers per year, Birmingham New Street Station is the busiest major rail station in the UK outside London. The Gateway project will ensure the station is a focal point in Birmingham, regenerate parts of the city centre and improve links through and to the city. It is estimated to generate close to £2 billion in economic and social benefits for the region.

Real Estate associate Nisha Jassal and partner Robert Caddick led a cross-firm team of specialists providing property, construction, tax, corporate and employment advice. The team worked in partnership with Birmingham City Council's in-house legal team to complete the due diligence on the circa 100-unit shopping centre, office block and multi-storey car park. Berwin Leighton Paisner LLP advised Warner Estates. Property advisers Knight Frank also advised the council.

Robert Caddick said: "Wragge & Co's full-service team is proud to be working with Birmingham City Council on this key stage of such an exciting and ambitious project. Working alongside the city's own multi-disciplinary team, our specialist property investment and project management experts have together been able to secure this major, and complex, retail investment for the city within a very demanding timescale."

John Wynn, assistant director in the council's legal services office, said: "This was a 'heroic' piece of work by all involved both internally and externally and puts the city and Network Rail in the best position to take forward the project to a successful conclusion."

Wragge & Co's full-service Real Estate group includes experts in 15 specialist teams, including commercial development, investment, shopping centres, retail and leisure. With more than 150 lawyers, it is one of the largest full-service real estate teams in the UK. The group has experience advising on large-scale, complex regeneration projects. Earlier this month it advised international real estate group Goodman on its £17 million acquisition of a 220-acre site near Heathrow airport.

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For further information about this press release, contact Kathryn Hobbs on +44 (0)121 685 2785, Rebecca Davies on +44 (0)121 685 3819, Gayle Redding on +44 (0)121 685 2708 or Rebecca Lum on +44 (0)121 260 9973

This press release may contain information of general interest about current legal issues, but does not give legal advice.