Argent, acting as lead developer and asset manager for King’s Cross Central Limited Partnership (KCCLP), has appointed Cushman & Wakefield and Nash Bond as joint retail and leisure agents for its 67-acre development at King’s Cross, London.
King’s Cross is one of the largest and most exciting mixed-use developments underway in London. The area has already been transformed and, when complete in 2020, will comprise a combined total of 8 million sq ft of offices, residential, retail and leisure properties – a new London district. Retail and leisure is a critical component of the overall scheme, with 500,000 sq ft of shops, restaurants, cafes, bars and other leisure facilities.
Current occupiers are centred on Granary Square, which opened in 2011, and include Caravan, Grain Store, Dishoom, The Lighterman (Open House Group). The rest of the site is home to Vinoteca, Waitrose and Granger & Co. By 2020, 50,000 people will be living and working at King’s Cross; the office population is already at 15,000. Key office lettings already concluded include Google (1 million sq ft), LVMH, Universal Music and Havas.
The immediate focus for Cushman & Wakefield and Nash Bond will be the retail heart of King’s Cross, Coal Drops Yard. First built in the 1850s to receive, sort and store coal arriving from the north of England by train, it fell mainly out of use in the last century. Its cobbled streets and Victorian brick arches are being brought back to life as the main shopping element at Kings Cross, housing up to 60 brands (100,000 sq ft) with completion and opening in Q4 2018.
Craig White, Project Director at Argent, said: “Retail and leisure is already playing a critical role at King’s Cross, helping to bring five million people a year to Granary Square. As the next phase of development delivers more homes and offices, this number will grow substantially. Cushman & Wakefield and Nash Bond will help us deliver a vibrant mix of tenants to establish King’s Cross as a new retail destination for London.”
Matthew Hyland, Partner in Cushman & Wakefield’s Central London Retail team, said: “We are very pleased to be continuing Cushman & Wakefield’s decade-long association with Argent at King’s Cross by helping to create this landmark London retail and leisure destination. Coal Drops Yard provides a perfect destination to showcase London’s heritage and future in a space for the best experiential concept stores and must-visit bars and restaurants.”
David Bannister, Director at Nash Bond, said: “We are delighted to be joined by Cushman & Wakefield as joint advisors on London’s newest and most high profile retail and leisure district.”
