Westfield has poached Steven Yewman, Minerva’s project director in Croydon, to work on the redevelopment of the town’s Whitgift shopping centre.
Yewman, also a director for Croydon’s Business Improvement District, will work alongside Westfield director John Burton on plans for the 633,400 sq ft mall.
Yewman worked at Minerva for several years, overseeing the company’s now abandoned plans to develop the town’s 1m sq ft Park Place scheme.
Minerva held unsuccessful talks with the Whitgift shopping centre’s owners in 2006 with a view to linking the two schemes together. However, Croydon council tore up Minerva’s development agreement three years later.
Last week, Australian developer Westfield revealed it had entered into exclusive discussions to act as development partner to the Whitgift Foundation, which owns the freehold and 25% of the long leasehold of the Whitgift shopping centre.
annabel.dixon@estatesgazette.com
