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Convention Centre & Broad Street - historic photos

It made me shudder looking at the Broad Street photographs, realising how close it was to The Registry office and getting married there arghhhhhhh.
 
well said john...been saying the same thing myself for years now..i know we must move on and i do like what has been done to our canals but is it really necessary to have so little regard and respect for so many of our fine buildings...wont get them back now so photos and our memories are all we are left with...:confused:

lyn
To true Lyn
I'm like you, we need our city looking nice and the canal work has been superb, but a lot of the work to streets and buildings is so final, your left with an area no where near resembling what it used to look like and all you have are pictures and memories it's very sad
 
Now for View 6 (Views 1 to 5 are above) and there are 5 photos in this set.

I have to be honest and say these are not the most exciting pictures in this series, but I am posting them for completeness.

This is one of the problems you have when you start taking pictures of something ISN'T there. How do you decide the best place to stand to get the best "before and after" pictures.

You don't even know if the spot on which you are standing will the THERE when you come back, a building may have been built over the spot, or maybe a huge brick wall will have been built in the way.

This is why I have taken so many picture of the Eastside site over the last few years (from 2010 onward), to try to get every angle covered.

The picture below was taken in November 1986, after the announcement of the ICC / Symphony Hall, but before much work had taken place.

This view is taken from behind (or on the side) of the Convention Centre site. I am standing in Kingston Row and as you can see from the road signs on the right, it is near Cambridge Street and King Edwards Road.

I could not move the "view" any more to the left as there is a large block of flats in the way.

Here is a small map showing where I am standing, and what direction I am pointing for the photo. Click on it to see it larger.
View attachment 133806

Luckily it is Winter so no leaves on the trees, so you can just see the brewery on the very left.

Some demolition seems to have started, there is a half demolished building near the centre.

View 6 Picture 1) Back (or side) of Convention Centre
View attachment 133807
Look at the state of that road repair on the junction
 
This is View 13, Picture 1, and only three pictures in this set.

This time a view of Gas Street basin, looking towards Broad Street.

Here is a small map showing where I am standing, and what direction I am pointing for the photo. Click on it to see it larger.
View 13 Map 1.JPG

This picture was taken in November 1986, and little evidence of any building work going on, just one small crane.

In the centre you can just see the top of the brewery behind the Crown pub (the brewery was later demoloished).

The buildings on the left are the BACK of those shown in View 10.

Nice to see what seems to be some working canal boats, the ones with the tarpaulin over most of the length of them.

View 13 Picture 1) Gas Street basin
View13Picture1.jpg
 
This is View 13 picture 2. No date on this picture so maybe 1987 or 1988.

Lots of activity on the Convention Centre site shown by some large cranes.

Little change to the buildings in front, except part of the wall removed in the centre, allowing a small section of the Crown pub to be seen.

View 13 Picture 2) Gas Street basin
View13Picture2.jpg
 
This is View 13, and the third (and last) photo of this "View 13" set.

This photo was taken in November 2010 when much of the work in the area had been long finished.

You can just see the roof of the Convention Centre poking above the building at the back.

View 13 Picture 3) Gas Street basin
View13Picture3.jpg
 
This is View 14 Picture 1, and four pictures in this set.

This picture is taken with my BACK to Gas Street Basin, just as I am walking along the towpath OUT of the tunnel that goes under Broad Street. It is looking towards the site of the Convention Centre (on the right) and the National Indoor Arena (in the distance on the left).

Here is a small map showing where I am standing, and what direction I am pointing for the photo. Click on it to see it larger.
View 14 Map 1.JPG

No date on this picture I am afraid, but they have started work on the ICC and the "power" building left of centre (behind the building with the boarded up windows) so I would say around 1988.

No work on the NIA as yet.

View 14 Picture 1) View towards ICC and NIA
View14Picture1.jpg
 
This is View 14 Picture 2. This is dated December 1989.

The "power" building is finished (behind the house with the windows), and the huge bulk of the ICC is taking shape on the right.

The house just left of centre has had the boarding on the windows removed and new windows installed by the look of it.

Looks like they may have started work on the NIA in the distance, but it is difficult to see.

View 14 Picture 2) View towards ICC and NIA
View14Picture2.jpg
 
This is View 14 Picture 3. This is dated July 1990.

The ICC development on the right is still ongoing, with the wall and steps on the right taking shape.

A few cranes in the distance so I assume they are working on the NIA.

I have a few assorted pictures on the building of the NIA that I will post soon.

View 14 Picture 3) View towards ICC and NIA
View14Picture3.jpg
 
This is View 14 Picture 4.

It was taken in November 2010 (20 years after the previous photo) long after most of the work in this area was finished.

The ICC (Convention Centre) can clearly be seen towering above the red wall on the right, and the National Indoor Arena (now Arena Birmingham) can just be seen in the distance on the left.

View 14 Picture 4) View towards ICC and NIA
View14Picture4.jpg
 
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Now View 15, and four pictures in this set. This is View 15 Picture 1

I have no more pictures of the ICC site or Gas Street, or Broad Street, so now we move on to other developments.

This is part of the site for the National Indoor Arena, dated August 1989.

I am standing one side of the canal, looking over to what will become the left hand end of the NIA building (the car park end).

Behind me is the site of Brindley place and Broad Street, and I am facing roughly West (facing out of the city centre).

Here is a small map showing where I am standing, and what direction I am pointing for the photo. Click on it to see it larger.
View15Map1.JPG

View 15 Picture 1) View towards NIA site
View15Picture1.jpg
 
Posting two photos in this update as, to be honest, they are not the most exciting photos in this set.

First this is View 15 Picture 2, and dated December 1989, so only 4 months after picture 1 above.

Some work has taken place, and a couple of cranes have appeared, but you cant expect much in only 4 months.

View 15 Picture 2) View towards NIA site
View15Picture2.jpg

Now View 15 Picture 3, and dated July 1990.

I am sorry about the quality of this picture, it seems to have had something spilt on it. I have tried to clean it but only made it worse.

Building of NIA well on its way now.

View 15 Picture 3) View towards NIA site
View15Picture3.jpg
 
These photos are just amazing, I love the dedication of members on this site it's a credit to you all
 
This is View 15 Picture 4.

It was taken in November 2010 (20 years after the previous photo) long after most of the work in this area was finished.

Part of the National Indoor Arena (now Arena Birmingham) can be seen.

View 15 Picture 3) View towards NIA site
View attachment 134278

In view 15 picture 4 from 2010 it shows two trees that seem to have been planted after 1990.
 
Now View 16, and three pictures in this set.

I am posting all three views at the same time as, to be honest, it is not the most exciting viewpoint.

I am standing one side of the canal, looking over to what will become the centre of the NIA building.

Here is a small map showing where I am standing, and what direction I am pointing for the photo. Click on it to see it larger.
View 16 MAP 1.JPG

Behind me is the site of Brindley place and Broad Street, and I am facing roughly North.

The first photo shows part of the site for the National Indoor Arena, dated August 1989.

View 16 Picture 1) View towards NIA site - August 1989
View16Picture1.jpg

Now we move on to July 1990

View 16 Picture 2) View towards NIA site - July 1990
View16Picture2.jpg

Now we jump 20 years, to a photo from December 2010 when the NIA had been long finished.

View 16 Picture 3) View towards NIA site - December 2010
View 16 Picture 3.JPG
 
The two views I posted above are View 15 and 16 which were of the site of the NIA.

As the two photos are from the same spot I have merged them together in to one wide photo.

Both these pictures were taken on August 1989.

Here is a small map showing where I am standing, and what direction I am pointing for the photo below. Click on it to see it larger.
View 16 MAP 1.JPG

The merging is not that good as they were not meant to be a panorama, but I thought the two pictures combined would look more interesting that the individual pictures.

View 15 Picture 1 and View 16 Picture 1 (MERGED) View towards NIA site
View15and16_Pic1.jpg
 
This is View 15 Picture 3 and View 16 Picture 2 merged (individual pictures already posted above).

It shows the NIA site.

Both pictures were taken on July 1990 from the same spot. The merging is not that great to be honest as they were not meant to be a panorama, but I thought the two pictures combined would look more interesting that the individual pictures.

View 15 Picture 3 and View 16 Picture 2 (MERGED) View towards NIA site
View15and16Pic2.jpg
 
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