British Land has signed engineering higher education college TEDI-London as the first tenant for its £3.3bn development of Canada Water, SE16.
The organisation will initially take 13,000 sq ft at the 53-acre scheme, with the option to expand by up to 40,000 sq ft.
Construction is scheduled to start in January 2021, with the space ready for the first group of students in September.
British Land is a founding industry partner of TEDI-London, which has been set up by King’s College London, Arizona State University and UNSW Sydney to transform engineering education.
TEDI-London dean and chief executive professor Judy Raper said: “British Land’s vision for Canada Water is a fantastic opportunity for TEDI-London and our staff and students to be part of a progressive, green, sustainable new urban space.
“Our students will be able to work on projects connected to, and for the benefit of, their local community, something which was a highly attractive proposition for us when choosing the location for our campus. British Land, as our founding industry partner, has supported TEDI-London from the very early stages and we are delighted to reach this important milestone for both organisations.”
Roger Madelin, joint head of Canada Water at British Land, added: “We have an incredible opportunity at Canada Water to build a genuinely vibrant, mixed-use neighbourhood for London, and education will be a key part of this.
“TEDI-London is a truly innovative and unique education programme that will partner with business to deliver graduates with the skills to solve 21st-century challenges. The impact of engineering is all around us, and TEDI-London is exactly the kind of organisation we are looking to attract to Canada Water.”
Johnson Situ, cabinet member for climate emergency, planning and transport at Southwark Council, said: “It has been our aspiration for many years to attract a higher education institution to the heart of Canada Water as set out in our vision agreed back in 2014. We hope some of our young residents who would not normally consider a career in this field will be encouraged into training and we will work with TEDI-London to ensure as many Southwark residents as possible benefit from this facility in their borough.”
British Land has also completed the drawdown of the 500-year headlease, which combines ownership of the assets at Canada Water into a single lease, with Southwark Council as the lessor. The council will own an initial 20% interest in the site.
Emma Cariaga, joint head of Canada Water at British Land, said: “The drawdown of the headlease follows five years of extensive consultation and engagement with the local community and a partnership with Southwark Council.”
To send feedback, e-mail louise.dransfield@egi.co.uk or tweet @DransfieldL or @estatesgazette
