Property and cultural preservation non-profit the Civis Foundation has completed the acquisition of Birmingham’s famous Methodist Central Hall, a Grade II-listed building that has sat at the heart of the city since 1904. The Civis Foundation’s redevelopment of the Central Hall will ensure it remains a fixture of central Birmingham.
Richard Osborn, real estate and commercial property partner at Excello Law, led the legal team advising Civis on this milestone acquisition, the US-based Foundation’s first in the UK. Excello will continue to act for the Civis Foundation as it establishes and builds out its UK business, structure and charitable activities.
The acquisition will ensure a turnaround in the fortunes of Methodist Central Hall, which was placed on the Victorian Society’s Top Ten Endangered Buildings list in 2025. The Civis Foundation is now restoring it as a civic and cultural institution, blending heritage preservation with performance, exhibitions, education, hospitality and community events.
Going forward, the Central Hall project will be run on a public-benefit model: commercial revenue from venue hire, hospitality, studios and events will fund public access, cultural programming, artist development and long-term sustainability.
Eric Galloway, President & Portfolio Curator at the Civis Foundation, comments:
“Central Hall has stood at the centre of Birmingham for over a century, and it deserves a future as vital as its past. This is our first project in the UK – hopefully the first of many – and we couldn’t have picked a more fitting home for it.”
We extend our heartfelt thanks to Richard and the Excello team, who navigated the intricacies of this vital initial acquisition. Excello Law will be Civis’s trusted legal partner as the Foundation builds out its UK operations in the months and years ahead.”
Richard Osborn comments:
“Following a lot of hard work by various teams bringing their skills together, to have concluded this acquisition and secured the long-term future of Central Hall is a fantastic outcome. We very much look forward to working with the Civis Foundation, a true force for good on a local and an international level.”
With more than 20 years’ experience acting on commercial property and real estate matters, Richard Osborn is one of 17 lawyers in Excello Law’s Birmingham team. Excello is among the largest fee-share law firms in the market, with more than 270 lawyers globally and nine offices across the UK as well as three overseas. The firm’s model means clients receive direct access to senior legal advisors backed by a multinational firm’s breadth and depth of service.
