COUNCIL SIGN DEAL TO MAKE GREENWICH PENINSULA ITS NEW

• Greenwich Council agree to lease top two floors of  6 Mitre Passage, the second commercial building to be completed on Greenwich Peninsula

• Council will occupy around 21,000 sq ft of Grade A riverside office space in the Peninsula Central business district, located just one tube stop from Canary Wharf

Greenwich Council is launching a new base for ‘Destination Greenwich’ on Greenwich Peninsula – to promote the borough from premium office space at the heart of London’s first new commercial district in a generation, Peninsula Central.

The deal, which is another major milestone in the continued regeneration of the Peninsula, will see the Council lease 21,000 sq ft of Grade A riverside office space within 6 Mitre Passage, the second commercial building to be completed. The Council is taking advantage of a tremendous opportunity to highlight what Greenwich has to offer, ahead of hosting events at the 2012 London Games.

Destination Greenwich is a Council-led initiative to boost inward investment by marketing the borough to companies and organisations keen to locate in an Olympic borough in the run up to 2012. It was developed following an examination of other Olympic host cities and how their economic bases change as the Games draw near.

The Council is actively marketing the space to businesses and partner organisations and will also locate some of its key related services there.

Cllr Chris Roberts, Leader of Greenwich Council, said:

"Hosting the Olympics challenges host cities to take advantage of the potential economic boost, and brings a number of opportunities which can only be realised by taking the initiative. Mitre Passage has tremendous potential to act as a catalyst for the regeneration, not only for this part of Greenwich - but for London's growth too. It is important that we seize the momentum to provide jobs and opportunities for our communities.

"Business interest in locating in Greenwich is strong and we are confident that this will provide a tremendous boost to our local economy.

"We took the same approach to our tourism economy and have just been named by the London Development Agency as a 'New Capital of Industry’ for leading the way for London - we aim to do the same for the cultural, creative and technology sectors at Greenwich Peninsula. Our move into Mitre Passage shows we mean business."

Nick Shattock, deputy chief executive of Quintain, said:

“This deal with Greenwich Council is yet another milestone in the continued regeneration of Greenwich Peninsula, and is a further vote of confidence for our emerging commercial district.”

Dan Labbad, CEO of Lend Lease Europe, said:

“Greenwich Peninsula is a unique development, offering tenants value for money, new benchmarks in sustainability and excellent connectivity, and all of these in an unrivalled, riverside location, which represents the business and cultural shift eastwards in the capital.”

Mark Davies, Director of Think London, the UK capital’s official foreign direct investment agency, said:

"Think London has worked closely with Greenwich Council and the other agencies involved in the Destination Greenwich campaign to ensure the flow of inward investment continues into the UK’s capital. Greenwich Peninsula is a very attractive business location for companies looking to expand or set up their operations in London, and we are pleased to support any move that helps raise the profile of London as global hub for business.”

Greenwich Council has agreed to lease the top two floors of 6 Mitre Passage, a  building which combines cutting edge design - it has a striking modern appearance, with excellent green credentials - 6 Mitre Passage is one of the most sustainable new office buildings in the UK. The building has been rated as BREEAM ‘Excellent’ and houses an active chilled beam cooling system, water saving devices such as rainwater harvesting, and highly efficient condensing boilers, among other sustainability systems.

It is the second building to be completed within the Peninsula Central commercial district, following the opening of 14 Pier Walk, which is now fully occupied by Transport for London.

The 115,000 sq ft building, designed by Terry Farrell and Partners, occupies a spectacular position overlooking Peninsula Square, is just minutes from North Greenwich transport interchange and offers unrivalled views of the River Thames and Canary Wharf.

When complete, Peninsula Central will be a 3.5 million sq ft business district at the heart of the Greenwich Peninsula scheme sitting alongside 10,000 new homes, 350,000 sq ft of retail, food and drink outlets, 48 acres of open green space and 1.6 miles of riverside - all just 20 minutes from the West End.

Over £180m of construction work is currently being undertaken on the site, which is being developed by Lend Lease and Quintain in partnership with the Homes and Communities Agency. The commercial district continues to develop, Ravensbourne College is on track to relocate its 1,500 students and staff to Greenwich Peninsula in 2010 and the first homes are being built by Bellway.

ENDS

Media information:

Or further information about Greenwich Council, contact:
Andrew Stern, Greenwich Council Communications, 020 8921 5043

For further information about the Greenwich Peninsula, contact:

Kate Fisher, London Communications Agency, 020 7612 8480, 07977 141216, kf@londoncommunications.co.uk

NOTES TO EDITORS

Destination Greenwich
The Destination Greenwich campaign was set up by Greenwich Council and partner organisations in 2008. The campaign aims to promote Greenwich as a world-class destination for visitors, students and businesses. It is overseen by a consortium made up of partner organisations including:

• Greenwich Council
• The University of Greenwich
• Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication
• Greenwich Leisure Limited
• SE London Chamber of Commerce
• Greenwich Community College
• AEG Europe

The campaign won the Media Relations Excellence Award in the 2009 Excellence in Communications Awards run by the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.

More details are available at www.destinationgreenwich.com

Greenwich Peninsula

The £5 billion regeneration of 190 acres of Greenwich Peninsula led by Lend Lease and Quintain working in collaboration with the Homes and Communities Agency, the national regeneration agency – a true public private partnership.  The scheme will create a thriving new riverside community for London over the next 15 years.

- 10,000 new homes in distinct residential neighbourhoods

- 24,000 permanent jobs

- Peninsula Central - a new business district for London 

- 150 new shops and restaurants

- 1.6 miles of river frontage; the distance between Waterloo and London Bridge

- 48 acres of open spaces and parks; the size of Green Park

- Extensive new community and leisure facilities

- The O2 entertainment destination delivered and operated by AEG Europe

- Excellent transport links, situated in zone 2 on the jubilee line

- Aspiration for the highest environmental standards for new buildings

www.greenwichpeninsula.co.uk

AEG Europe, own and operate The O2, the world’s most popular entertainment destination. Opened in 2007 it has made a significant contribution to the development of the Peninsula.

Lend Lease

Lend Lease, listed on the Australian Stock Exchange, is a leading real estate specialist which creates and manages real estates assets around the world.  In the UK its business is focussed primarily in the delivery of large scale mixed use schemes which lead to the regeneration of major urban sites.

www.lendlease.com

Quintain

Quintain creates value from property, operating through three businesses: fund management, property investment and urban regeneration. Quintain is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

www.quintain.co.uk

The Homes and Communities Agency

The HCA is the single, national housing and regeneration agency for England.  It brings together the development and regeneration expertise of English Partnerships, the investment functions of the Housing Corporation, and the Academy for Sustainable Communities, with major delivery programmes of Communities and Local Government.

Its role is to create opportunity for people to live in high quality, sustainable places. It also provides funding for affordable housing, brings land back into productive use and improves quality of life by raising standards for the physical and social environment.

During the next three financial years the HCA controls a budget of £17.3bn.

About Think London:

Think London is the official foreign direct investment agency for London. We are a not-for-profit private-public partnership and the experts on doing business in the capital. We connect international businesses to London, helping them set up, succeed and grow.  Our experts work with government and the business community to provide access to the best people, places and opportunities in the city. Think London's principal funding partners are the London Development Agency and our network of commercial partners. Other key partners are the City of London Corporation, which also provides funding, UK Trade & Investment and the business community through London First. www.thinklondon.com