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LONDON-Westfield has launched its revised plans for a euro 2.4-billion ($3-billion) shopping mall at White city. The new centre will be London's biggest, will rival Europe's biggest retail centre at Bluewater and will be the group's European flagship.
Westfield took over management of the White City development from Multiplex last month and plans to have the site open by 2008. The 150,000-sm, glass-roofed mall, to be known as Westfield London, will include four flagship stores, 265 smaller shops, 4,500 parking spaces, 40 restaurants and diners, two new bus terminals, one new tube station, one new overland rail stop, 200 new homes, a spa and gym complex and a 14-screen cinema.
Westfield says there would be flagship branches of Marks & Spencer, Debenhams, Waitrose and Next. It will include a "luxury mall" over three floors dedicated exclusively to top designer brands.
The company says it would act as a catalyst for a further euro 1.5-billion ($1.9-billion) development in the area and about 4,000 jobs will be created. "We will offer a line-up of restaurants, bars, cafés and food shops that cater to all tastes and to all occasions," says director David Slade.
Westfield joint managing director Steven Lowy explains Westfield London would be positioned in one of the most accessible locations in West London. Surrounding suburbs include Notting Hill, Holland Park, Hammersmith, Chiswick, Ealing and Kensington. He adds that the primary catchment was estimated to be 2.7 million people with an estimated retail spend of euro 7.4 billion ($9.4 billion).
"Since taking over the site we have made significant changes to the design, including the car parks layout, the outside 'skin', the tiles, the roof and the transport hub," Lowy says."We launched the site to coincide with London Fashion Week and had a number of representatives of major retailers, such as LVMH Group, turn up, and we expect that calibre of tenant."
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