Ex Birmingham City star Paul Devlin sparkles in property game

Mar 7 2008 By Gurdip Thandi

A FORMER Blues star who shone at St Andrew's has helped put sparkle back into a listed building.

Paul Devlin swapped scoring goals for Birmingham City and Walsall three years ago for redeveloping buildings when he set up Irlon Solutions with pal Malcolm Teeling.

One of their most prestigious jobs has been replacing a derelict building with the £350,000 new Vertu bar in Frederick Street, in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter.

The bar, owned by businessman Paul Wager and designed by Newman Gauge, has many unique, jewellery-based fixtures and fittings inside in keeping with its location.

It was designed to be in character with the area and satisfy English Heritage because of the building's listed status.

Paul, aged 35, who lives in Sutton Coldfield, said: "There were some interesting materials used on this job, all in keeping with the area and it is a unique bar.

"This is a very different career from football and nothing ever compares to playing.

"But this is something I've always been interested in and Malcolm is an old friend who has been in the trade all his life.

"He is more hands on than I am and I am more of a silent partner but I do get involved and things are going really well."

M r Wager said: "It was a completely run down derelict building and Paul and his team rebuilt much of it for us. It is situated in an English Heritage area and they came out to ensure that it was kept in its listed status condition.

"They are happy with the results. We have been open a few weeks now and it is going very well. We believe the area has been crying out for something like this and hopefully the regeneration of the Jewellery Quarter will continue."

The interior has been designed to make it look like an old jewellery workshop, with reclaimed timber floors, reclaimed brickwork and ceilings, zinc bars, mirrors which look like diamond cluster wedding rings and even old workbenches being kept and used as meeting tables.

Brian Gauge, of Newman Gauge, said: "It is a complete one off. As it's only 100 yards from our office, it became a labour of love for us and we have adopted it as our local.

"We hope it is the first of many new investments in the area that will rejuvenate the Jewellery Quarter."