New Developers for Former ITV London Base to be Chosen in September

10/9/24

New developers for a £500 million scheme to redevelop ITV's former London HQ will be chosen this month, following the sale of the original developers.

Australian company Leadlease originally won the contract to redevelop 72 Upper Ground in 2022, but the company was sold earlier this year, putting its involvement in the project in doubt.

Following this uncertainty, development manager CO-RE has elected to hand to project to a rival firm, likely to be either Mace or Multiplex.

The development, known as Project Vista, will feature a 26-storey staggered office building, connected to two buildings of 13 and six storeys.

Alongside 900,000 sq ft of offices, the complex will offer cafes and restaurants, cultural venues and green spaces.

Net-zero carbon will be targeted for the scheme along with the highest BREEAM and WELL certifications.

The development was approved by then Communities Secretary Michael Gove in February 2024, but it has not been without controversy.

In May a local campaign group called Save Our South Bank (SOSB) won the right to challenge Gove's decision which will be heard in the High Court in October. The scheme has stirred controversy due to its scale and proximity to listed buildings and is described by SOSB as 'The Slab'.

SOSB have said that the former ITV tower could be refurbished to provide 200 homes and 500,000 sq ft of offices while saving a huge amount of embodied carbon compared to a full redevelopment approach.