if this represents an opportunity for artists to present a series of temporary large works on the cleared site?

It’d be more exciting than the actual proposed plan for the area which crams in the usual suspects – ‘mixed use scheme’, ‘enhancement of the canals’, etc and yawn.

D’log expounds:

Such shows would have an audience, in the countless people approaching Birmingham on the trains from/to the north. There’s no traffic nearby to distract, so light could be used to dramatic effect and (if structures were tall enough) could reflect in the canal. At the very least, AWM might consider laying the site with wildflower seed turf as a temporary measure, rather than letting it become a mess of scrubby buddliah and weeds for the next three years. What if the 2009 West Midlands Meadow Gallery could be held on this highly visible inner-city site? Perhaps followed by another Festival of Xtreme Building?