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Great Portland Estates

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City scheme underway

Strand site sold

Soho scheme poised

Refurbishment on market

London Offices – An Olympic Year?

Contractor appointed

SE1 scheme to start

Refurbishment potential

West End pre-let

West End start

Scheme discussions

Consent in EC2

Refurbishment possible

Skyscraper delayed

Major West End development

Office scheme in SE1

Refurb progress

Major Soho consent

Midtown application

Noho scheme underway

West End pre-let

Noho scheme scheduled

City tower start

City office tower start

Consent for SE1 tower

Major Mayfair application

Possible Piccadilly refurbishment

City application

Refurbishment in W1

Refurbishment in the medium term

Southbank opportunity

Midtown scheme poised

Refurbishment in SW1

Consent for SE1 scheme

West End scheme tipped

Soho scheme underway

Site asssembly completed

Developer's major pipeline

Grade A letting in WC2

Redevelopment plan for City sites

New scheme planned in SE1

Consent for Spitalfields scheme

West end site underway

Clerkenwell consent

Soho scheme start

City tower plan

Refurbishment in SW1

Soho application

Fitzrovia scheme start

GPE to start schemes

Site assembly in Regent Street

Developer looks to start

Early start for W1 scheme

West end scheme schedule

Consent for WC2 scheme

Mixed use in SE1

Westminster refurbishment

Regent Street consent

New office scheme for Farringdon

Scheme planned for W1

Revised consent in EC4

Offices for SE1

Soho site winner

Shortlist for Soho site

Victoria redevelopment

Soho refurbishment

LandSecs plans refused

Midtown green light

Soho scheme permission

Noho bids

Plans for major WC2 scheme

LandSecs unveils plans

GCP submit plans

Soho start

EC1 pre-let

Redevelopment plan in SW1

GPE gears up for refurbishments

Demolition start in SE1

West End start

Soho scheme demolition

Henderson secure pre let

F&C plan start

Refurbishment start in WC1

Midtown refurbishment plan

Southbank scheme underway

Refurbishment in W1

Refurbishment planned in W1

Wells & More

Pre-let for GPE building

Progress at Holbrook House

Midtown site assembly

Legal & General on site

Major letting in SE1

Mayfair scheme proposed

Midtown scheme tendering

Consent for City tower

Recommendation for City tower

Consent for SE1 offices

Victoria towers

Consent for WC2 refurbishment

Developer stepping up programme

Great Portland Estates is planning to raise £160m via the international bond markets to fund its development and investment programme in central London. The property company, which has four London office schemes underway, is understood to be planning to sell two tranches of seven-year and ten-year bonds. - (08-04-2011)

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West End HQ nears completion

The new Greater London Magistrates Court Authority building is due for completion in summer 2011. The £50m, 9,700 sq m (104,410 sq ft) building designed by architect Hurd Roland Partnership is at the junction of Seymour Place and Marylebone Road, London, NW1 is approaching shell and core completion. Laing O’Rourke is the main contractor. - (04-02-2011)

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London Offices – 2011, Looking Up

The central London property market seems to be at a turning point in terms of construction activity. It would seem that we are at the start of the next development cycle, with the prospect of major office projects starting in 2011.

CityOffices constantly reviews London’s office development projects. The latest ‘Skyline Monitor’ shows that a total of 11 schemes started on site during summer 2010. Schemes such as The Pinnacle in the City, 62 Buckingham Gate, SW1, and Park House in Oxford Street, W1, added a further 1.3m sq ft to office space under construction.

The current total office space under construction in London is 4.2m sq ft, comprising 2.4m in the City; 1.1m sq ft in the West End, 600,000 sq ft on the Southbank and 130,000 sq ft in Midtown.

The 4.2m under construction at present is low when compared to the 13m sq ft under construction two years ago, but does compares favourably with the mere five office schemes started this time last year.

This summer nearly 5.8m sq ft of offices were completed in schemes such as Minerva’s St Botolphs building, EC3; Derwent’s Angel Building, EC1; and Standard Life’s 95 Gresham Street, EC2. A number of lettings have been secured in these buildings and currently half of the 5.8m sq ft has been let, in line with the overall sharp reduction in prime office space available in central London.

CityOffices has identified 21 London office projects where demolition is either underway or the site has been cleared. It is anticipated that starts on around half of these before Christmas 2010, which could result in a further 1.5m sq ft of offices under construction by the New Year.



Looking forward to 2011, Cityoffices is currently tracking 110 office schemes in central London totaling over 22m sq ft, which have planning permission, and where the developer is thought to be considering a start in 2011. The short-list of developers lining up schemes to start next year includes British Land, Land Securities, Great Portland Estates, Helical Bar, and Exemplar.

The reason behind the increasing activity in central London is that Grade A office space availability is expected to hit a low point in late 2014 and rents are already rising to reflect shortages of prime space. Developers are keen to catch the next property ‘wave’ before it peaks and are trying to push ahead with developments. In reality not all these schemes will start but Cityoffices is tracking them all to identify the ‘winning’ development teams. - (19-11-2010)

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Glasnost - Online Project, Contact & Image Management

London survey looks forward

The latest Drivers Jonas Crane Survey, researched by Cityoffices.net, has found that despite 10.3m sq ft under construction (of which 7.15m sq ft is available to let) there were only six significant starts in Q4 2008 and Q1 2009. There are 30 buildings available to let at the moment of greater than 100,000 sq ft. DJ said developers should expect more prelets in 2010-11 for completion in 2013. Tenant’s choices will be reduced over the next few years. In addition short-term lease extensions being agreed now could generate further demand. - (11-06-2009)

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Derwent call halt

Derwent London, the property developer, has said that it is not planning to start any new commercial developments until 2010 or 2011. The company has made the decision because of the credit crunch and the fall in occupier requirements for new space. Derwent has three buildings under construction and has let 408,000 sq ft in the last nine months, and has a further 35,000 sq ft of office space under offer. John Burns, chief executive, has said that the next two years are about "good housekeeping" and his comments mirror those expressed by Great Portland Estates, Hammerson and Liberty International. - (20-11-2008)

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Developers freeze projects

Great Portland Estates has said that it is putting new developments on hold until the end of 2010 at the earliest and maybe later. Toby Courtauld, chief executive, sees “a significant downturn and the demand side has deteriorated quite strongly”; He has commented that there has been a 66% fall in active demand in the West End of London over the past six months, and this is seen as continuing. The company priorities are now capital conservation, maximizing occupancy levels and crystallizing reversions. Hammerson and Liberty International have also delayed development activity and put major developments on hold in 2009. - (15-11-2008)

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LandSecs new plans

Land Securities has revealed new plans for its (185,000 sq m) 2m sq ft office development on a site on Victoria Street, to the front of Victoria Station, London, SW1. The revised plans are now for two twin 50 storey office towers. The original plans for three skyscrapers of between 25 and 42 storeys were submitted last year but the application was withdrawn. Westminister City Council is looking for one tower of 12 storeys but powers under the Greater London Authority Bill may allow the Mayor of London to overrule the council if the scheme is refused. The scheme therefore seems likely to be called in. - (01-02-2007)

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190 Great Portland Street on site

A contractor has been appointed for the £18m redevelopment of 190 Great Portland Street, W1. The scheme will provide 10,300 sq m (110,869 sq ft) of offices and 1,395 sq m (15,000 sq ft) of retail space, showroom and gym on the ground floor and basement. Construction has just begun and will take approximately 18-months. - (02-06-2005)

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York House on-site

The development of the former York House at 15-17, Great Cumberland Place in London, W1, started on site on 18th April 2005. The mixed-use scheme, which may be marketed as The York Building, will provide about 27,870 sq m (300,000 sq ft) of office space, residential apartments and retail. The office element is thought to be around 11,000 sq m (118,000 sq ft). - (27-04-2005)

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GPE predicts West End recovery

Great Portland Estates has predicted that West End office rents will pick-up in 2005 but that rents in the City of London will not revive until 2006. The company’s chief executive, Toby Courtland, sees vacancy levels falling slowly in the West End and City, which are now estimated to have about 3m sq ft and 7m sq ft of vacant Grade A space respectively. The comments were made as Great Portland announced its interim results which showed net asset value up 8.9% to 305p. The company is increasing development activity and has 13 projects in the pipeline. - (24-11-2004)

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Treasury Office completed

Work on the 450,000 sq ft refurbishment of the Treasury Office (Phase 2) on Great George Street is to complete next week. The Foster & Partners designed scheme has been project managed by Stanhope under the Exchange Partners Consortium banner. Bovis Lend Lease has been acting as main contractor and Gardiner & Theobald was the Quantity Surveyor. - (12-11-2004)

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Columbus Tower approved

Columbus Tower, a 63-storey, 246m high, skyscraper, has been approved by London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The building, designed by DMWR architects and Weintraub Associates, adjoins Canary Wharf and is at the western end of West India Quay, London, E14. The project needs a Section 106 agreement to be signed and will also to be referred to the Greater London Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority. Columbus Tower is to be developed by SKMC, controlled by the Abu Dhabi royal family, and Farnham Properties. The scheme includes 30,000 sq m (322,920 sq ft) of office space, a hotel and health club, 2,200 sq m (23,680 sq ft) of retail space and a winter garden. The development could be completed by 2007. GVA Grimley is the planning consultant and DTZ is advising on the commercial space. - (30-03-2004)

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Great Portland Estates switches to buy

Great Portland Estates has said that it is planning to start buying properties as it followed other commentators in calling the bottom of the property market in the West End. Although a few months behind others market 'gurus' with the comment, Toby Courtland, chief executive at Great Portland, is expecting to see rent rise in 2005. Great Portland reported first half pre-tax profits of £15.6m and is changing emphasis from selling properties. - (22-11-2003)

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London Development Agency names developer

The London Development Agency (LDA) has appointed Kajima as the preferred developer to carry out the works on the largest brown field site in London. The Silvertown Quay consortium is set to develop the Silvertown Docks area in East London. The £800m scheme will provide offices, 3,000 homes, a hotel, school, shops and leisure facilities including an aquarium designed by architect Sir Terry Farrell. Works sre proposed to start at the end of 2002. The mixed-use site of 20ha (48 acres) at Silvertown Dock in Newham, London E16. The developer was selected from a shortlist comprising Bellway Homes, The Greater Silvertown Consortium with George Wimpey, St George, a joint venture called Silvertown Quays Limited, Kajima and a group which includes Taylor Woodrow Capital Developments. - (14-11-2001)

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GLA headquarters topped-out

The new ten-storey headquarters of the Greater London Authority (GLA), designed by Foster and Partners, was topped out by Nick Raynsford, Minister for London, and Ken Livingstone, Major of London, last week. The new GLA building, said to resemble a glass headlight, occupies a site at CIT's More London development in SE1. - (09-07-2001)

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St Katherine's Dock on the market

The St Katherine's Dock mixed-use development in East Smithfield, London E1 is understood to have been put on the market by Taylor Woodrow. In 1969 the Port of London Authority sold the docks in Wapping to the Greater London Council for £1.5m and in 1969 the GLC awarded Taylor Woodrow the project to develop the docks, the first London Docklands regeneration project. The development includes the K2 site, previously called Europe House, which is planned as a 21,802sq m (234,676 sq ft) building that will provide seven-floors of office space, amounting to 16,720 sq m (180,000 sq ft), and a lower ground floor of 1,394 sq m (15,000 sq ft) of retail and restaurant space. The whole St Katherine's Dock development is on the market through Jones Lang LaSalle and is expected to be sold for around £250m. Possible bidders are said to include Catalyst Capital (previously Greenwich Group) with Lehman Brothers, and the US funds JE Roberts and Blackstone. - (01-07-2001)

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Great Portland Estates plan skyscraper

Great Portland Estates, the London property group, has said that it is in talks to develop a skyscraper in central London. Peter Shaw, managing director, has said that the company is to build the office block as part of a joint venture with a City Livery Company and an unnamed City Institution. Mr Shaw has refused to name the other backers for the Great Portland Estates' skyscraper. The plans have been announced as the company reported a worse than expected set of results. - (06-06-2001)

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High buildings make news

Several items concerning high buildings in central London are in the news this week. "Towards a London Plan", the strategic development discussion paper, has just been issued by the Greater London Authority. One of the key elements of the proposals is to increase the supply of affordable office space by allowing more tall buildings, particularly at main railway stations. A joint report by English Heritage and CABE is said to be due out after the election and is reported to be saying that proposals for high buildings must be judged on their individual merits. In addition The Architecture Association is staging a mini-exhibition entitled "Tower Power: Does size matter?" at various central London venues next month. On display will be the plans for several London skycraper schemes. For further details call 020 7253 3334. - (11-05-2001)

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Revised skyscraper design unveiled

A revised design for a 80-storey skyscraper at London Bridge station, by Italian architect Renzo Piano, is now being put forward by developer Irvine Sellar. The 390m (1,279 ft) tower will include 65,031 sq m (700,000 sq ft) of offices and 18,580 sq m (200,000 sq ft) of flats along with hotel and retail space. A planning application could be submitted to the London Borough of Southwark by the end of the year but is likely to be determined by the Greater London Authority. The skyscraper would not be completed before 2005 and construction costs are put at £300m. Bovis Lend Lease is the project manager. The scheme is unlikely to proceed without a major pre-let and the developer is said to be in discussion with firms including Pricewaterhouse Coopers. - (13-11-2000)

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