How Mixed Use Destinations are set to Redefine the West End
By Bruce Gillingham Pollard
It’s an exciting time for retail developments in central London, particularly in the West End.
Hoardings are up and work has commenced at two major mixed-use schemes set to transform the landscape and present fresh opportunities for the West End.
The first of these is South Molton in Mayfair, an area that saw a 42% increase in visitors last year, bringing annual footfall to 34 million.
Behind hoardings that run along Davies Street, Brook Street, South Molton Street is a £500 million, 360,000 square foot development being brought forward by Grosvenor and Mitsui Fudosan UK.
The largest mixed-use development in the West End, part of the project includes restoring the Georgian-era buildings on South Molton Street, transforming them into new flagship shops and a 5 star boutique hotel on Brook Street.
This will be complemented by modern office spaces, a mix of private and affordable housing, restaurants, cafes and community areas, all seamlessly connected by an enhanced public realm. This will supplement the huge benefit of South Molton’s location next door to the Elizabeth Line; with the Bond Street Elizabeth Line station currently serving 140,000 passengers a day, the West End’s soon-to-be newest retail destination will be situated at the gateway for millions of visitors into Central London.
Let’s look a little further north, where work is underway on another major project. Loxton Walk is a Marylebone development that will form part of a wider, mixed-use development between The Portman Estate and Derwent London. It will be centered around an open air courtyard with 17 ground floor retail and leisure spaces totaling 28,000 square foot, forming a lively, vibrant new destination for residents, workers and visitors to Marylebone.
Both South Molton and Loxton Walk are placemaking, pedestrianised schemes that will feature a mix of office and residential spaces, along with retail, restaurants, and cafes. These developments are transforming central London’s physical landscape while fostering vibrant, integrated communities that combine living, working, and leisure spaces. Another key project, Marylebone Square, will further enhance connectivity between South Molton Street and Loxton Walk, creating a more cohesive link across the West End.
The Rosewood is taking up residence in the former US Embassy Building at 30 Grosvenor Square along with six retail units; another significant project blending retail, hospitality and leisure. The Selfridges expansion will incorporate a hotel - part of an international trend toward creating holistic environments that merge different elements of urban living. Oxford Street’s former department stores Debenhams and House of Fraser are being transformed into major developments incorporating retail, leisure, hospitality and offices, while The Ribbon - the former home of Next on Wells Street - will provide 80,000 sq foot office and retail space when it completes this year.
It gives us an insight into the future of the West End and London as a whole; one where residential, office, hospitality and retail space come together as one holistic environment. These developments represent a new chapter in the West End's evolution, bringing fresh neighbourhoods and spaces that will redefine the area for years to come.
Bruce Gillingham Pollard have provided advice on the Loxton Walk and South Molton projects throughout the development process. For more information on opportunities within the Loxton Walk and South Molton developments, please get in touch with us at Bruce Gillingham Pollard.