Minerva to redesign Park Place for John Lewis

                      Minerva has confirmed that it will revise its eight-year-old plans for the 1m sq ft Park Place shopping centre in Croydon to secure John Lewis as its anchor tenant.   The group, which is working with Australian developer Lend Lease on the project, said: “Minerva and Lend Lease remain focused on progressing this scheme and are working together with the principal stakeholders for the realisation of Park Place. This active dialogue is constructive and will involve delivering necessary revisions to the consented scheme.”   It added: “These revisions will essentially facilitate the requirements of the prospective anchor tenant and those of neighbouring owners to create a new aspirational shopping district for Croydon.”   As revealed by Estates Gazette in April 2006, John Lewis has told Minerva that it will only move to Park Place if the development is reconfigured.   In a letter to Lend Lease in 2006, John Lewis urged “integration of the department store and scheme into the wider town centre”.   The retailer, which has been keen to open in Croydon for a number of years, wants to be the central anchor, between Park Place and the adjoining Whitgift Centre.   Current designs for Park Place show the department store at the back of the scheme, away from the Whitgift.   samantha.mcclary@rbi.co.uk