From http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-26382658

A former London Underground station, used as a World War Two command
centre, has been sold for £53m.

Brompton Road station, near Harrods, was put on the market in
September by the Ministry of Defence as part of cost-cutting efforts.

Opened in 1906, the Piccadilly Line station closed in 1934 when London
Underground decided it was no longer financially viable.

It is now expected to be used for residential development.

'Historic significance'

Defence minister Andrew Murrison said: "The Ministry of Defence is
committed to selling off its surplus land and property in order to
provide the best possible value for money to the taxpayer.

"At the same time we take our role as a custodian of the nation's
history very seriously and have been working to record the historic
significance of the building."

The money from the sale will be put back into the defence budget, it
was added.

During the Blitz the station was used by the War Office to control
anti-aircraft batteries protecting London from air raids.

It was most recently occupied by the London University Air Squadron
and Royal Naval Unit and air cadets.

The identity of the buyer has not yet been disclosed.

In message , at 13:12:31 on
Fri, 28 Feb 2014, Recliner remarked:

It is now expected to be used for residential development.

Maybe they'll bring in an architect who normally does conversions of
other thin vertical things like lighthouses? Although of course there
will be a lack of light through most of the property.
--
Roland Perry

Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 13:12:31 on
Fri, 28 Feb 2014, Recliner remarked:

It is now expected to be used for residential development.

Maybe they'll bring in an architect who normally does conversions of
other thin vertical things like lighthouses? Although of course there
will be a lack of light through most of the property.

I wonder how much of the subterranean part of the property is included in
the sale?

"Recliner" wrote in message
...

Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 13:12:31 on
Fri, 28 Feb 2014, Recliner remarked:

It is now expected to be used for residential development.

Maybe they'll bring in an architect who normally does conversions of
other thin vertical things like lighthouses? Although of course there
will be a lack of light through most of the property.

I wonder how much of the subterranean part of the property is included in
the sale?

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

All of it I would guess (except the running tracks :-)

Going back though the news archives there are people claiming that they
wanted to buy it to:

a) use as a museum
b) use the underground parts for some useful purpose.

But i guess that the bid to redevelop as residential was just a tad bit more
than the above.

The question is, are the going to knock it down and rebuild a bigger
structure on the site?

I have to say that whilst I can see the history in the building, it's pig
ugly and I can't see that it's going to be listed - BICBW

tim

On Fri, 28 Feb 2014 14:12:07 +0000
Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 13:12:31 on
Fri, 28 Feb 2014, Recliner remarked:

It is now expected to be used for residential development.

Maybe they'll bring in an architect who normally does conversions of
other thin vertical things like lighthouses? Although of course there
will be a lack of light through most of the property.

I wonder how much of the sub surface station it includes if any? Can't see
much use for it for residential purposes and I can't underground space like
that going to waste. Perhaps it'll be hived off into 2 sales - above ground
and below ground?

--
Spud

In article ,
(tim.....) wrote:

"Recliner" wrote in message

net.com...

Roland Perry wrote:
In message , at 13:12:31 on
Fri, 28 Feb 2014, Recliner remarked:

It is now expected to be used for residential development.

Maybe they'll bring in an architect who normally does conversions of
other thin vertical things like lighthouses? Although of course there
will be a lack of light through most of the property.

I wonder how much of the subterranean part of the property is included in
the sale?

----------------------------------------------------------------------

All of it I would guess (except the running tracks :-)

Going back though the news archives there are people claiming that
they wanted to buy it to:

a) use as a museum
b) use the underground parts for some useful purpose.

But i guess that the bid to redevelop as residential was just a tad
bit more than the above.

The question is, are the going to knock it down and rebuild a bigger
structure on the site?

I have to say that whilst I can see the history in the building, it's
pig ugly and I can't see that it's going to be listed - BICBW

One problem is that the main road frontage was demolished in the 1970s for
road widening. Only the sides are original but there is a substantial
surface building there. It could be incorporated into a new structure
perhaps.

--
Colin Rosenstiel

In message , at 19:29:08 on Fri, 28 Feb
2014, d remarked:
It is now expected to be used for residential development.



Maybe they'll bring in an architect who normally does conversions of

other thin vertical things like lighthouses? Although of course there

will be a lack of light through most of the property.



I wonder how much of the sub surface station it includes if any? Can't see

much use for it for residential purposes and I can't underground space like

that going to waste. Perhaps it'll be hived off into 2 sales - above ground

and below ground?


The above-ground part will have to be several residences, because even
at London prices £53m for the site is a bit much for a single residence.

The below-ground parts could be used for various things like swimming
pools, private cinemas and so on. There was a story in the papers about
a year ago about the rend for people to enlarge their houses by digging
down, anything up to four levels, so there's clearly some demand for
sub-surface space.

Anyone here know if the site has any other access than the front?
--
Roland Perry

On Friday, 28 February 2014 13:12:31 UTC, Recliner wrote:
From http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-26382658



A former London Underground station, used as a World War Two command

centre, has been sold for £53m.
....
The money from the sale will be put back into the defence budget...


Isn't £50m about ten minutes of defence budget?

In message , at
01:49:02 on Sat, 1 Mar 2014, Offramp remarked:
A former London Underground station, used as a World War Two command

centre, has been sold for £53m.
...
The money from the sale will be put back into the defence budget...

Isn't £50m about ten minutes of defence budget?

(And a hundred yards of HS2 perhaps).

This sale has to be "political" in some way, ie demonstrating that
assets are being disposed of, however relatively trivial the sum.

Far better had it been leased out at a peppercorn rate to a museum, who
could probably then get lottery money to refurbish and open it.
--
Roland Perry

In article , (Roland Perry)
wrote:

In message , at 19:29:08 on Fri, 28
Feb 2014, d remarked:
It is now expected to be used for residential development.

Maybe they'll bring in an architect who normally does conversions of
other thin vertical things like lighthouses? Although of course there
will be a lack of light through most of the property.

I wonder how much of the sub surface station it includes if any? Can't
see much use for it for residential purposes and I can't underground
space like that going to waste. Perhaps it'll be hived off into 2 sales
- above ground and below ground?

The above-ground part will have to be several residences, because
even at London prices £53m for the site is a bit much for a single
residence.

The below-ground parts could be used for various things like swimming
pools, private cinemas and so on. There was a story in the papers
about a year ago about the rend for people to enlarge their houses by
digging down, anything up to four levels, so there's clearly some
demand for sub-surface space.

Anyone here know if the site has any other access than the front?

The only original facade remaining is down the side, in Cottage Place. The
Brompton Road frontage was cut back and replaced many years ago.

I would give a Google Street View reference if I could out how to do so in
the fiendish new version.

--
Colin Rosenstiel