Picture: jasonhawkes.com
Over a million football and gymnastics fans flocking to Wembley for the Olympics has put the fast-changing area firmly in the shop window, the boss of property developer Quintain said today.
The area around the stadium has been a building site in recent years, but Quintain’s transformation of Wembley is fast taking shape with its four-star Hilton open in time for the Games.
More than 600 students will arrive in the autumn in a newly built accommodation block and Quintain’s London Designer Outlet will open at the end of next year.
Quintain chief executive Max James said: “There is a real buzz up there. It’s suddenly beginning to look like a real place rather than a construction site.” The Olympic events, particularly the women’s football, have attracted a different breed of visitor to the area, he adds. “Wembley had 70,000 in, mostly women and children, and instead of selling out of lager, they sold out of bottled water and ice cream.”
Quintain also took a major step in its redevelopment of the Greenwich peninsula in June after Hong Kong-based investment group Knight Dragon took a 60% stake in the scheme. This secures £300 million in long-term funding for the project.
