Proposals for refurbishing and redeveloping three buildings on Charlotte Street are to be unveiled at an exhibition next week. The site — a mix of commercial and residential properties in the Charlotte Street conservation area — was the subject of a long drawn out disagreement over their use by the previous off-shore owners who eventually sold the premises leaving them partly empty.
Now new owners Merchant Land say they have plans for the site and want to hear the public’s comments on them. The company, which is the UK property investment arm of Holbud Limited an international trade and real estate group, have given little information other than to say they want to move into the premises, use it as their headquarters, and keep it in mixed-use.
In a letter to local residents and businesses Katherine McCullough, development director and head of UK property at Merchant Land, says they intend to modernise the buildings to provide “flexible office space for Merchant Land to occupy, including new commercial units for local businesses and a small number of homes”.
Instead of leaving the buildings vacant throughout the planning process they have let out two of the ground floor shop units on a short-term basis.
Elsewhere Merchant Land have gained planning permission to demolish and redevelop to create luxury apartments on the site of a late 19th century terrace in Seymour Place, Marylebone, and refurbishment and extension of a commercial building to create 12 boutique apartments at Grays Inn Road.
There are numerous property developments either planned or currently underway in Fitzrovia, as we reported in the centre pages of the latest print edition of Fitzrovia News. Local people are getting weary of the barrage of planning applications and the nuisance caused by demolition and construction.
The public exhibition will be held from 4.30pm to 8pm on Monday 15 December 2014, at 61 Charlotte Street, London W1T 4PG. Members of the design team will be present to answer questions and discuss the plans.