With a symbolic first cut of the spade, construction has officially started on the new Transport for London Building at The International Quarter – the £2.1 billion development at Stratford, which, at a total of four million square feet, is one of the largest new commercial developments in London.
Lendlease and London & Continental Railways (LCR), joint venture partners delivering The International Quarter, today (Tuesday 30 June) held a ground-breaking ceremony for the landmark 265,000 square foot building, which sits at the gateway to the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and will provide TfL’s third accommodation hub, housing 3,000 TfL workers from autumn 2017.
An estimated 1,200 jobs will be created on site at The International Quarter by spring 2018 and to ensure as many of these roles are given to local people as possible, Lendlease has recently partnered with Newham Council, Newham Workplace and Building Crafts College to deliver a ten week training programme to upskill unemployed Newham residents in construction. The programme has already seen four trainees offered jobs at The International Quarter development in Stratford by the site’s specialist contractor Prater.
The ground-breaking ceremony was attended by Victoria Quinlan, Chief Operating Officer, Lendlease David Joy, Chief Executive, LCR Steve Allen, Director of Finance, TfL Cllr Lester Hudson, Deputy Mayor of Newham, Neale Coleman, Chair, London Legacy Development Corporation, Ian Crockford, Project Director, The International Quarter, Lendlease.
Ian Crockford, Project Director, The International Quarter at Lendlease, said:
“Construction starting on the landmark Transport for London Building is a key milestone in our ambition to create the most agile, healthy and flexible workplaces in the capital. The International Quarter will be London’s newest and most progressive business district, delivering significant local employment opportunities and cementing a lasting legacy for East London’s economy.”
Steve Allen, Managing Director of Finance at TfL, said:
“We are delighted that the development of our new building has begun as we look to head east in Autumn 2017 for our third accommodation hub. Over the last decade, Stratford has seen some fantastic investment in transport and the wider regeneration as part of the Olympic legacy and it is great that through our new building, we will become part of that legacy.”
Councillor Lester Hudson, Deputy Mayor of Newham, said:
“Newham Council’s commitment to inward investment and regeneration legacy from the 2012 Games is stronger than ever. With Stratford being one of the best connected places in London it is fitting Transport for London have chosen The International Quarter as a new home for thousands of staff. London is moving East and Newham is the place where more and more people are choosing to live, work, and stay.”
Neale Coleman, Chair, London Legacy Development Corporation said:
“What better way to mark the 10th anniversary of London’s successful Olympics bid than to see even more land being used to create jobs and boost the economy of east London. Few of us dared dream that we would have progressed so far and so quickly with the legacy promises we made. Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park is thriving and the thousands of jobs coming to The International Quarter show just how much confidence developers have in one of the prime commercial and residential development areas in London.”
The joint venture partners behind the project, Lendlease and LCR obtained detailed planning permission for the new TfL office building in March 2015. Designed by Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, and developed by joint venture partners Lendlease and LCR, the new TfL building located on Plot S6 at The International Quarter, adjacent to the London Aquatics Centre and the Westfield Stratford City shopping centre.
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) recently committed to 425,000 sq ft within a new 515,000 sq ft building at the development, while Lendlease and LCR are in discussions with a number of other major tenants about moving to The International Quarter.