Cascade

EDITOR’S COMMENT So here we are, another year over. And what a year it has been. 2024 has been nothing if not interesting. It’s hard to keep track of it all. Remember when Adam Neumann thought he could buy back the business he destroyed? Or when then chancellor of the exchequer Jeremy Hunt handed devolution powers to his home county of Surrey? Or when a bunch of tower-dwelling corporates got their knickers in a twist about another tower being built on their doorstep? Right until the end, we can safely say that, despite muted investment levels, this has definitely been a year of activity. A new government, another reform of the planning system, a back-and-forth on whether the market is coming back, a flurry of M&A activity – with more to come, no doubt – the loss of some well-loved, significant people from our industry. And, of course, the end of an institution. I didn’t want to spend too long here talking about the planned closure of EG but I can’t not take this opportunity to say a very big, very heartfelt thank you to absolutely everyone who has been in touch. Every single one of your lovely messages has helped mend our broken hearts a little bit. Every single one has reminded us of the great impact that EG, the Estates Gazette, has had on people’s lives. You’ve grown up with it, it’s helped build your careers, it’s given you insights and intelligence, it’s challenged you to think about things that you might at one stage have thought had nothing to do with real estate. But you know as well as I do that real estate is people, so everything has something to do with real estate. That’s the power that you possess. And I know I speak for the whole EG team – editorial, events, marketing, production, sales, customer success, client services, product, research and technology – when I say we’re really going to miss reminding you of that. We’re really going to miss showing the world what a brilliant sector real estate is and what it means to our economy, our planet and to our people. But Team EG is nothing if it isn’t resilient. And like the theme of this year, we too are surviving until 2025. We will be back in the new year for a few more issues and we will still be serving up online news. We promise to deliver until the very last story. We won’t forget you and ask you not to forget us. We will be pulling together a very special final issue and I have a big favour to ask of you. We would love to share as many stories as we can about the true purpose of EG. Tell us what it has meant to you, what it’s meant to this glorious sector. Let’s make sure we celebrate everything the EG stood for. We stand proud and we want to create a very special gift for you, a lasting legacy that you can use to remind those who might not yet understand the uniquely beautiful power of the real estate sector to make the world a better place. Please do get in touch at samantha.mcclary@eg.co.uk https://lnkd.in/d-4wpUWs

🏆 🏆Two weeks and two awards for our Capital Partnerships team! Huge congratulations to the team for winning the Revo - Retail. Property. Community. Best Asset Management Initiative for Midsummer Place, Milton Keynes. Background When the former Ellandi team (now part of NewRiver REIT) took on Midsummer Place, it was battling high vacancy, a stalled development and unsustainable leases. The centre, once a hub for high-end fashion, was struggling to adapt to shifting consumer habits. Today the centre is a thriving retail destination offering retail, F&B and leisure – and is now a place shoppers want to come, and retailers want to be. The asset management strategy is delivering – with a well curated and enhanced occupier mix leading to a high occupancy, including the reactivation of former vacant space; together with the successful redevelopment of The Boulevard into a vibrant F&B quarter and quality upgrades to the physical environment. 📢 Key deliverables: ✅ Income Stabilised: Leases renewed on market terms, much improved occupancy and enhanced service charge management - delivering immediate financial stability ✅Curated Occupier Mix: Attracted new operators including Apple, upsized existing brands, and secured new anchors including the stunning Sports Direct and FLANNELS stores, with Lane7 opening soon, all contributing to driving a £2m NOI uplift ✅Strategic Investments: Re-let 126,000 sq. ft of former Debenhams and re-energised the Boulevard into a vibrant F&B hub with eight new pods offering artisan and international cuisine – generating healthy turnovers. By leveraging the space's horseshoe shape, high ceilings and natural light, the team created a welcoming environment with street furniture, providing a place for visitors to relax and ultimately increase dwell time ✅Community & Social Impact: Supported local businesses through pop-ups, free table tennis initiatives with Table Tennis England, and social enterprise schemes. Moreover, 72 new jobs were created following the Boulevard transformation. “We are delighted that our asset management strategy is delivering. The enhanced occupier mix and physical upgrades align with our vision of establishing a leading retail and leisure destination. The transformation of a derelict area into a thriving F&B and event space has been particularly successful. We are proud of what the team has delivered to date to transform Midsummer Place, and we have a few more exciting things to come next year; I'd like to thank the whole team for their part in this successful turnaround.” Simon Anderson, Asset Management Director Enormous well done to the team involved, what a transformational journey to be delivering Simon Anderson, Tom Ellams, Brooke Tahau, Holly Harcus, Gary Hale, Marykay Fuller, the management team Midsummer Place - Simon Martin, Kirsty McGiff and JLL, Savills, Black Cat Building Consultancy and Gowling WLG #assetmanagementsrategy #destinationshoppingcentres #socialimpact #community

A very happy day at Cascade... We announced Emma Garner's promotion to Associate Director. I met Emma when she was in the property team at Sainsbury’s who were a Cascade client. On her first day at Cascade, we pitched together to support the Royal College of Art's expansion - and were straight off to a winning start. Emma has reaffirmed for me the value in finding someone who is diligent, detail focused and excellent at creating relationships with client teams. She has taught me to be a better consultant and that is something I value hugely. Congratulations Emma. Cascade gin bar lock in? https://lnkd.in/ew47evVk

Bishopsgate Goodsyard, our 4.5-hectare site in Shoreditch, in partnership with Hammerson, received approval on two Reserved Matters Applications (RMAs) from the Greater London Authority, marking the next stage in realising the scheme approved by the Mayor of London in 2022. The first RMA will provide 36,000 sq m of best-in-class workspace, affordable space, and 600 sq m of new retail space designed by Gensler and Buckley Gray Yeoman. The second "Sclater Street" RMA, designed by Chris Dyson Architects, includes restoring five derelict historic buildings to bring them back into use. John Mulryan, Group Managing Director at Ballymore said: “These RMA approvals mark the beginning of delivery of The Goodsyard. The result will be the re-opening of one of London’s most important historical assets located between the City and Shoreditch." Our web article has more detailed facts about the approvals and overall vision for delivering The Goodsyard: https://lnkd.in/eC8Kd9Fj

A huge thank you to everyone who attended our Start the Year lunch with EG this lunchtime. An even bigger thank you to the awesome Samantha McClary for sharing her and EG’s insights and vision for the year ahead. It was great to see so many of you at Home Grown Club. We hope you made some new connections and caught up with industry colleagues. Thank you to JPES Partners for sponsoring the drinks reception. Do visit our website for upcoming events and seminars - we’d love to see you again; from us all at Profile Network. #propertynetworking