Transport for London has launched a search for a development partner to restore and redevelop South Kensington Underground station, SW7.
A development brief for the iconic London site shows an indicative scheme comprising 30,809 sq ft of retail, 24,438 sq ft of residential and 12,853 sq ft of offices.
Savills is leading the process. An Official Journal of the European Union tender will be published today.
The existing site extends to 35,941 sq ft of residential, office and retail space in and around the main listed arcade. The site also includes land along the southern edge of the station on Pelham Street. TfL plans to improve the commercial and retail units of the station and refurbish the four-storey buildings at 20-34 Thurloe Street, with the potential to place a single storey on the distinctive Bullnose Building. The site also includes the main station entrances through the Grade II listed shopping arcade, which will be restored to its original state, and a second entrance via a Grade II listed pedestrian subway.
The investment will be used to provide step-free access to the District and Circle Line via a new station entrance on Thurloe Street. The scheme will also deliver step-free access to the pedestrian subway leading to nearby cultural destinations including the Science Museum, Imperial College, the Natural History Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Separately, TfL is progressing plans to rebuild a disused platform for eastbound District and Circle Line services. The ticket hall and gate line will be expanded and a new emergency exit to the road bridge leading onto Thurloe Square Bridge will be opened. Subject to planning permission, works could start early next year.
TfL is aiming to identify a partner later this year. TfL and the chosen partner will then form a joint venture to develop proposals for the site in consultation with the local community and seek planning permission to develop the site. Subject to planning, the development could be completed in 2022.
Graeme Craig, director of commercial development director at TfL said: “South Kensington Tube station is one of our busiest stations and also the gateway to some of the most important and treasured cultural institutions anywhere in the world. We want to find a long-term partner with whom we can work to create a station that reflects its historic legacy and unique setting, while generating vital revenue to reinvest in transport and provide step-free access for millions of journeys.”
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