The story may be a bit old but I’d not read about it before. Looks like Croydon will get London’s third Westfield shopping centre as a replacement to the downtrodden Whitgift Centre. Construction doesn’t start until 2019 with completion in 2022 but we in SE23 should have a lovely overground service to shopping nirvana!
And the Londonist’s comical response to it.
Its part of a total revamp of Croydon to include refurbished Fairfield Hall, revised road layouts etc. Personally in advancing years I wonder if a male version of the Croydon facelift will be available?
On the way to and from Gatwick last week we saw hording announcing Croydon’s new cultural quarter centred around the Fairfield Halls to include a new art gallery and college. Pretty cool stuff.
Will be a place more so than now for youth gangs to hang out just like Westfield Stratford
I remember estate agents mentioning these developments as potentials when I was buying two years ago and looking more towards Norwood Junction/Croydon area!
Unfortunately the reopening of Croydon Airport is impossible as the runway and surrounding land has been built over.
For those interested there is a museum and lots of relics from the period when it was the main airport in the South. The main reception area features lighting and wood panelling that shows a style and finish that reflects the period.
The museum, and building, is amazing. The world’s first airport terminal and air traffic control tower.
It is a much needed redevelopment. The town centre is looking run down, with the Whitgift in need of some much needed TLC.
Let me ponder that for a while. No, don’t call me - I’ll call you.
Croydon has been leading popular culture for a couple of decades:
Adele, Amy Winehouse, Imogen Heap, Rizzle Kicks, The Kooks, Noisettes, Kate Nash, Jessie J…
A great list but that doesn’t make a great place. I worked there for a few years. You couldn’t drag me back. Sorry Croydonites.
The only concern will be how Stratford has become a two-tier town after Westfield with those who shop and spend in the more expensive new shopping centre, with the old town centre still looking rough at the edges where there are still pockets of social deprivation.
Do you not think that social deprivation is in every town or city? It is a fact of life. London is a prime example with multi million homes alongside social housing estates.
Only when education is seen as the means to escape poverty will things change, one wonders how many of the perpetrators of the violence on our streets have a good level of education, perhaps it is easier to sell drugs etc than work towards a better life?
John Lewis and Waitrose have signed up. it appears they’ll be where the Croydon Village Outlet currently is.
http://superior-hosting.com:25461/xmltv.php?username=gingerninja&password=redhead99
The current traders are being allowed to take advantage of the Christmas 2018 trade. But work is scheduled to start in 2019. I can either take the Overground to West Croydon or the 75 bus goes there.
I suspect what is currently known as Centrale will stay open throughout the works. This would explain why you’ll find two of some of the shops such as Superdrug, McDonalds, Natwest etc in both shopping centres.
I thought Centrale was part of the new development now, with a sky bridge connecting them. Would be surprising if there are duplicated businesses on that basis.
It is, Centrale is the Hammerson owned shopping centre. (Whitgift is Westfield and the Whitgift Foundation)
The new development is a joint Hammerson/Westfield collaboration.
The redevelopment is all on the Whitgift side, connecting a sky bridge shouldn’t stop Centrale from trading when the building work starts.
It won’t affect the large stores which are already in Centrale, but some independents and smaller stores will lose trading space.
Some shops in North End which connect to the Whitgift will also be affected. It may be done in stages, so that M&S, WHSmith and McDonalds can continue to trade for as long as possible.