£100m redevelopment

The Crown Estate has confirmed plans to commence the £100m redevelopment of Duke’s Court, a mixed retail and office block on the corner of Duke Street St James’s and Jermyn Street in St James’s. The plans, which have been designed by John McAslan and Partners and will be delivered by Skanska, form part of The Crown Estate’s wider £500m investment programme in St James’s.

Set to complete in spring 2019, Duke’s Court will create 35,000 sq ft of new modern office accommodation, from the first to sixth floor, and 11,000 sq ft of flagship retail and restaurant space at ground and basement levels. As part of the same project, six new apartments are proposed at 33 Bury Street, restoring the upper floors of the building to their original residential use.

The Crown Estate’s investment in St James’s, where it owns around half the buildings in the area, is guided by a clear strategy, which aims to enhance and refine the area sensitively, carefully and for the long term. Its on-going investment continues to improve the cohesion of its holdings as well as protect St James’s future as a distinct niche in the West End office market and as a world-renowned destination for shops and restaurants.