Now that the 1960’s extension has been confirmed, here is my understanding of the Birmingham Lewis’s timeline. Any additions or corrections will be welcomed.
Lewis’s in Birmingham – Timeline
1878 Work on the new Corporation Street begins.
1883 David Lewis opens a tea warehouse at 48 New Street.
1885 David Lewis leases 850 square yards of land from the Corporation on corner of Bull Street and Corporation Street and the new store opens on 22 September.
1906 Lewis’s acquires the buildings of neighbouring store Berrill’s.
1914 Lewis’s acquires the buildings of neighbouring store Liberty’s.
1917 Lewis’s acquires the buildings of neighbouring store Street’s.
1924 G de C has a resident representative, David Lumsden, at Temple Row, next to the Minories. 1924-25 G de C rebuilds Lewis’s No.1 Building in Classical block style.
1926 Lewis’s acquires the buildings of neighbouring store Newbury’s on the north side of the Minories.
1929 Dispute with the Council about whether Lewis’s can build two bridges over the Minories.
1930 The Society of Friends agreed boundary changes in Bull Street.
1931-32 G de C rebuilds Lewis’s No.2 Building, north of the Minories, to match the No.1 Building. Lewis’s now has the whole island block.
1935 David Lumsden’s association with G de C ends
1936 G de C writes “a further extension of the No.2 Building is about to begin.”
1961 Lewis’s announce extensions to their Birmingham store as part of Colmore Circus development. The architects were G de C Fraser Son and Gearey.
1971 Minories built over (says Pevsner).
1991 Lewis’s goes into
administration and the Birmingham stores closes. The buildings are renamed Temple Court and Priory Court, either side of the Minories Shopping parade. Priory Court is mostly let to Birmingham Magistrates' Court which has a lease to 2034.
1993 Conversion to offices and Courtrooms. Minories reopened and glazed in.
2014 Legal & General Property acquire the buildings for £87.5 million.
2017 Plans are
announced for a wholesale revamp of the Temple Court side which is renamed the Lewis Building (sic). The renovation will provide 114,000 sq ft of superior office accommodation.