Meyer Bergman, the European retail real estate investment management firm, announces that, following final receipt of planning and listed building consent from the City of Westminster, restoration work at Burlington Arcade has started.
This first phase of the restoration comprises a 12 14 week program that is expected to complete by the end of April 2012 and which will focus on restoring the upper elements of Burlington Arcade.
It involves the installation of discrete up-lighting in place of the current obtrusive, four year-old lights and the re-painting of the painted elements of the Arcade in the original ecru white color used in 1819 when the Arcade first opened. These works will open up a clear unobstructed view down the full length of the Arcade which has not been seen for over 100 years.
Works will be undertaken out of trading hours to ensure that the shopkeepers can remain open for business throughout the process and it is hoped that this first phase will be complete in advance of Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee celebrations.
Markus Meijer, Chief Executive of Meyer Bergman, Burlington Arcade's co-owner, said: "Having received final approval of our plans for the first phase of the restoration of Burlington Arcade, we can now start the physical process of removing the current lights, which hide its exemplar Regency architecture, and reviving its original color scheme.
"We expect these works to be complete in time for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations and I am particularly excited that, once complete, we will have a view not seen for over 100 years and possibly not since Queen Victoria celebrated her Diamond Jubilee in 1897."
Source: FTI Consulting
