Rick de Blaby is at the forefront of the UK’s nascent build-to-rent sector. But can he calm nerves over the transformation of bustling Elephant & Castle?
A new “town centre”, a cluster of four buildings with towers of varying heights, is springing up at Elephant and Castle, one of the busiest junctions in south London, to replace the demolished 1960s shopping centre.
Residents and local traders have expressed fears it will turn into “another Westfield with all sorts of chain shops”, as local Liberal Democrat councillor Maria Linforth-Hall put it. But Rick de Blaby, chief executive of Get Living, the company behind the project – which has built and manages 4,000 rental homes, including the former Olympic Village in Stratford – is adamant this won’t happen.
Continue reading...