Founder's Place
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Charity goes out to tender for a development partner for Founder's Place
The Charity is seeking a development partner to take forward the construction of the Founder’s Place development, opposite St Thomas’ Hospital. Interested parties are being shortlisted by Drivers Jonas for interview in March 2008 and the Charity expects to be able to make an announcement regarding the selected partner in the spring.
The Charity is developing the land it owns opposite St Thomas Hospital to create the mixed-use health development at the request of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and the Evelina Family Trust, which runs the Ronald McDonald House for families with children being treated at the Evelina Children’s Hospital.
Founder’s Place fulfils the Charity’s commitment to support the needs of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and provides a premium from the Charity’s developer partner for the use of the land which the Charity will invest for future health care priorities.
Geoff Shepherd, Chief Executive of the Charity said: “We are very pleased that our vision for Founder’s Place will become a reality. This development is central to the Charity’s aim to improve healthcare and research and I look forward to appointing a development partner for the project.”
Key features
The striking development designed by signature architects, Farrells, will provide accommodation for 400 key workers at Guy’s and St Thomas’ and 45 affordable flats for local people. It will also provide brand new homes for the Charity’s long term tenants, currently living in Canterbury House and Stangate House on the site.
Other elements of the development include:
- A 102 place nursery for the children of staff who work at Guy’s and St Thomas’
- Ronald McDonald House, managed by the Evelina Family Trust, providing 22 rooms for the families of sick children undergoing treatment at the new Evelina Children’s Hospital (part of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust)
- New health facilities, which will include a patient hotel for patients who need to be close to the hospital but do not require a hospital bed. There may also be a health facility for the use by the wider community
- 300 private flats which will help fund the redevelopment of the site
Regeneration
Founder’s Place will make a major contribution to the regeneration of the area between Waterloo station, Lambeth Palace Road and Archbishops Park, making it a more attractive and safer place for people to live.
As part of the development, the Charity has agreed a package of improvements to the surrounding area, valued at over £2.3 million. Known as a Section 106 agreement, this contribution covers the landscaping and other improvements to Archbishops Park, the restoration of the railway arches which border Royal Street - improving access to Lower Marsh shopping area; improvements to Royal Street, Lambeth Palace Road and Upper Marsh; and contributions to local transport and education.
What our partners say
Ron Kerr, Chief Executive of Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust: “We are delighted that the Founder’s Place development has been given the go-ahead. The scheme will bring many benefits for our patients, particularly the families of very sick children being cared for in the Evelina Children’s Hospital, and for our staff. High quality worker accommodation and the new nursery will help us to continue to attract and retain the best possible staff to work in an area where property is expensive and relocating can be difficult.
“The development will also provide a much needed boost to the local community, opening up the links between the hospital and the local businesses in Lower Marsh by creating a brighter and safer environment. And the new health facilities, including a patient hotel, will allow some patients to stay close to the hospital without the need to occupy a hospital bed when they attend for regular specialist treatment, offering them vital support when travelling may be difficult.”
Val Shawcross, GLA member for Lambeth and Southwark fully endorses the development: "The Charity is to be commended for taking forward such an important development which will aid the physical, social and economic regeneration of the area.
"One of the Mayor's aims is to improve the quality and attractiveness of our housing, and the site falls within one of the GLA's identified Opportunity Areas as well as meeting a GLA objective to increase the provision of affordable housing. I am pleased to see that, including the key worker housing, the level of affordable housing provision is over 50 per cent.
"The high quality of the design and mix of building uses will greatly enhance the vitality and viability of the site and surrounding area. The scheme will greatly assist with the long overdue regeneration of this part of London."
Elizabeth Gibson, Chief Executive of the Evelina Family Trust which runs the Ronald McDonald House said: “All of us are delighted that the scheme will go ahead, especially the parents who stay at the Ronald McDonald House. They have waited a long time to have this new facility next to the Evelina Children’s Hospital where their children are receiving treatment. They will be able to stay close by in comfortable and secure accommodation knowing that they are only two minutes away from their child’s bedside.”
History and naming
Find out more about the history of the site and its building names here »
Images
Click here to see architectural drawings, a scale model and footprint of the development.