'Property developers began to turn their attention to Southwark in 1999, with the conversion of the old town hall into luxury apartments. Since then activity has just ballooned,' says John Wriglesworth, Hometrack's chief economist.

Around 2.5 million sf of commercial space is currently being built in SE1, including the new Greater London Authority headquarters and 500,000 sf for international business advisor Ernst & Young. The increase in business occupancy, together with the surge in leisure activity at venues such as the Globe Theatre, the Tate Modern art gallery and Vinopolis wine museum, has played a highly significant part in driving demand for homes in the area.

Up-market apartment projects are currently underway at Tea Trade Wharf and Butler's Wharf. 'Southwark is now most definitely the place to be and to be seen,' says Wriglesworth.

Want to continue reading?
Become a Free ALM Digital Reader.

Once you are an ALM Digital Member, you’ll receive:

  • Breaking commercial real estate news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
  • Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
  • Critical coverage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2024 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.