Sandwiched between the candy-coloured slabs of Central St Giles and the new Tottenham Court Road mega-station, it's of little surprise that the area at the base of Centre Point has been earmarked for redevelopment. The property owner Almacantar, which bought the site last year, has now unveiled its proposals.
The plan involves building 82 new flats on top of Centre Point House, the squat building that lies to the east of the tower, and convert the area between the two, currently a rest stop for buses terminating in the area, into a large plaza, adorned with the familiar mix of shops and al fresco cafes. The 'bridge' that links the two buildings would be remodelled.
Additionally, the developer hopes in the long term to redevelop the tower itself into residential units, as in their view it "cannot sustain itself in the future as an office building" — a viewpoint that has echoes of Centre Point's troubled birth, when it stood unoccupied for years after completion in 1966.
The new development is but one of many in the immediate area, including a new Astoria Theatre and some fairly dull new buildings above the ticket halls.