Plan to transform London’s Cavendish Square into the ‘oasis’ of Oxford Street

Published: 20-Nov-2019

£100m project will regenerate 1960s structure into a subterranean healthcare, wellness and retail destination

Reef Group has submitted a planning application to Westminster City Council to transform Cavendish Square into a subterranean mixed-use health hub in the heart of London’s West End.

Backed by an investment in excess of £100m; the project will transform the space beneath Cavendish Square Gardens, which is currently an underground car park, but will be redeveloped to create a dynamic mix of retail, medical, wellness and leisure accommodation.

We will invest in excess of £100m in developing a vibrant, sustainable and sensitively-designed subterranean mixed-use ‘place’ that will combine retail, leisure, medical, health and wellbeing

The plans will see the creation of 280,000sq ft of space across four storeys below ground level.

At street level two glazed lanterns will frame a new entrance facing Oxford Street and provide natural light for the floors below.

Statement entrances to Harley Street and Regent Street complete the development, which will be one of the West End’s largest, with floors of up to 80,000sq ft and floor-to-ceiling heights of up to 8m.

Plans for the scheme have been submitted to Westminster City Council and, subject to planning approval, construction is expected to start on site in late 2020, with completion in 2022.

Reef Group is currently in active discussions with a range of occupiers who could move into the space.

The development will expand the footprint of the Harley Street Medical Area and deliver much-needed specialist facilities for London’s growing independent healthcare market, which doubled in size between 2007-2017.

These will be complemented by a range of retail and leisure uses, with a strong wellbeing and sustainability theme throughout.

Stewart Deering, joint chief executive of Reef Group, said: “Reef has worked closely with Westminster City Council in designing a unique and iconic destination for London.

“We will invest in excess of £100m in developing a vibrant, sustainable and sensitively-designed subterranean mixed-use ‘place’ that will combine retail, leisure, medical, health and wellbeing.

“The historic Georgian square will be restored to its former glory, becoming more accessible to the public than ever before with an improved public realm.

“Cavendish Square will become an oasis in the heart of London and as well as providing an interesting mix of occupiers, we hope the plans will encourage more public events to take place within the square.”

First landscaped in 1729, Cavendish Square is one of London’s original Georgian squares. But, in 1969, the site was significantly disrupted and lost much of its connection with the surrounding area when the current carpark was constructed.

Reef Group’s plans will restore connections with Hanover Square and will complement Westminster City Council’s Oxford Street District proposals, which will see the above-ground park and surrounding public realm enhanced to improve pedestrian access into Cavendish Square.

The project will also be one of London’s most-sustainable developments, reducing traffic volumes and reusing much of the existing carpark structure.

Savills and CBRE are acting as agents on the scheme.

If planning permission for the project is granted it could be open by 2022

If planning permission for the project is granted it could be open by 2022

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