Thursday February 15, 2024
Yesterday, McGee alongside some high-profile visitors, celebrated the completion of the demolition stage and commencement of construction on Blackstone’s new 226,000sq ft, European headquarters located in the prestigious Berkeley Square.
Attending the formal groundbreaking ceremony was Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, the US Ambassador to the UK, Jane Hartley and Blackstone Chairman, CEO and Co-Founder Stephen A. Schwarzman.
Also in attendance was our Civil Engineering Apprentice, Ama Atta Mensah, “As a civil engineering apprentice, meeting with the Prime Minister during the groundbreaking ceremony was an incredibly inspiring experience. It reinforced my belief in the transformative power of development projects like this, not just for our company but for the entire community. It’s a privilege to be part of a project that will shape the future of London and contribute to its economic growth.”
Developer CO-RE, appointed McGee to undertake an integrated package of construction activities at Lansdowne House.
This significant redevelopment utilises a number of McGee’s core capabilities, including soft strip, hazardous material removal, complete structural demolition, pile enabling, piling and bulk excavation of the new basement following a methodology developed with its inhouse construction engineering team.
Located in a busy central London site, the project requires an experienced contractor to manage the logistics and demolition within tight constraints. As a London specialist, McGee is well positioned to deliver the works and ensure it leaves a positive impact on the community.
Blackstone will occupy the premier 226,000sq ft 10-floor building, which is nearly two thirds larger than its existing office on the square. The development is being led by London commercial property developer, CO—RE, and Stirling Prize-winning architect, AHMM and will support ~5,000 jobs.
The new headquarters reaffirm Blackstone’s long-term commitment to the UK and Europe. The firm doubled headcount in London over the past three years to more than 650 people working across private equity, real estate and private credit amongst its many teams.
Construction is slated to be completed in 2028. The expanded headquarters will include approximately 14,000sq ft of ground-floor retail space and redeveloped public areas surrounding the site at the south end of the square.