GPE plans revamp of TCR commercial building

Great Portland Estates (GPE) has announced plans for the refurbishment of The Gable Building, which faces onto Alfred Place and Tottenham Court Road.

Currently the building is a mix of office and retail space, and includes an Argos shop and a Bensons for Beds store on the ground floor on the Tottenham Court Road frontage, which may have to be vacated before construction work gets underway.

GPE plan to “retain and extend the 20th-century buildings to create high-quality office and new ground floor retail”, according to a web page describing the summary proposals.

Working with architects Emrys, GPE’s plans include covering over an internal courtyard, a new rooftop external space, a new entrance on Alfred Place, and updating the shopfronts on Tottenham Court Road.

The Fitzrovia News understands that for the work to go ahead the retail units will have to be vacated.

A spokesperson at GPE commented: “Longer term, GPE is proposing refurbishment of this key building on Tottenham Court Road and Alfred Place.

“The commercial units on Tottenham Court Road play an important role in the local area, and this project gives us the opportunity to make them more welcoming while reinstating some of the building’s original features. We also aim to create clearer, more accessible access points throughout this part of the estate.

“Regarding the vacation of the retail units, we will continue to work closely with our customers on lease opportunities and will consider what brands complement the broader retail offer across our neighbouring buildings.

“We expect to progress a planning application [to Camden Council] in the coming months.

“We recognise the importance of Tottenham Court Road as a commercial and retail hub and as a site rich in historic architecture.”

Sainsbury’s, which owns the locally popular Argos store, did not respond to our request for comment.

The Gable Building is one of several buildings in and around the middle section of Tottenham Court Road that GPE has acquired recently.

GPE bought the long leasehold interest in The Gable Building for £18mn from the City of London Corporation in the autumn of 2025. They previously acquired the neighbouring Courtyard Building, which is currently under redevelopment, and Whittington House, on Alfred Place, which has also received permission for refurbishment and alterations.

Adding to the cluster of their properties, in January this year they bought from the City of London Corporation 10 South Crescent, a corner site on Store Street and Tottenham Court Road which they also plan to refurbish and extend.

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