London’s Chic New Battersea Retail Project

by Paige Reddinger

On Wednesday, a bash was held at NYC’s Canoe Studios in Chelsea’s Starrett-Lehigh building to celebrate London’s massive new retail project for the Battersea Power Station. The ’30s-era power station and surrounding Nine Elms district in South London are being converted into a new residential and commercial space. The $12.9 billion dollar project is currently trying to lure in retailers. Judging by the fashionable fête’s crowd, which included the likes of Ann Dexter-Jones, Alexander Dexter-Jones, Johannes Huebl, Olivia Chantecaille, Frederique van der WalAlexander Gilkes, Amy Sacco, Alex Lundqvist, John Delucie, and Whitney Fairchild, the bar will be set high in terms of the caliber of retailers as well as residents.

Sting performed to the intimate crowd and sang not one song, but a whole set including songs from his new musical, The Last Ship, which recently opened on Broadway at the Neil Simon theater. Plus, he played all of the classics like “Englishman in New York”, “Every Breath You Take”, “Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”, “Fields of Gold”, and “Message in a Bottle”. That should give you an idea of how important the project is to London: Most musicians of Sting’s caliber charge six figures or much more to play just one song at a shindig like this.

Plus, Sting and Trudie Styler have already snapped up an apartment at the new development, where residential buildings have been designed by famed architects Frank Gehry and Norman Foster. A total of 3.5 million square feet of commercial space is available for leasing. Phase 1 of the project will include 40 retail and food openings. Phase 2 will involve 90 more shops over three floors, which will open in 2019 and will feature 30,000-square-feet of fashion retail space. Major fashion brands are likely already in deals to snap up these coveted spots…

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